The Baltimore Orioles lost All-Star third baseman Jordan Westburg to a broken right hand Wednesday after he was hit by a 95 mph fastball in the fifth inning.
Manager Brandon Hyde said he hopes Westburg can be back by the end of the regular season but wasn't able to give a sense of how likely that is. The 25-year-old Westburg, who made his big league debut last year, is batting .269 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs.
"They just X-rayed it," Hyde said after Baltimore's 10-4 victory over Toronto. "How it heals and those type of things is way beyond my expertise.
"He's a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything. He's right in the middle of everything."
Ramón UrÃas also plays third base for Baltimore, but the Orioles have a top corner infield prospect in Coby Mayo at Triple-A Norfolk.
Mayo has hit 20 home runs in 75 games this season, with an OPS of .944.
When Westburg was hit, it loaded the bases for prized rookie Jackson Holliday, who followed with a grand slam. Westburg stayed in the game to run but was replaced defensively.
"Obviously it's tough seeing Westburg get hit in the hand. Really thinking about him right now," Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez said. "You never want to see that happen."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
