Jordan Westburg injury forces Orioles into a U-turn in trade with Cardinals

One of the strangest moments of the Baltimore Orioles' offseason was when they traded for former White Sox third baseman Bryan Ramos, only to let the Cardinals claim him off waivers days later. In the immediate aftermath of the Jordan Westburg injury update, Ramos is now headed back to Baltimore.

Francys Romero reports that the Orioles have acquired Ramos from the Cardinals. There's no word on what Baltimore gave up in return, but chances are it is cash considerations.

Orioles waste little time in bringing Bryan Ramos back in search of needed third base depth

As was noted at the time the Orioles first acquired Ramos this offseason, the 23-year-old third baseman is out of minor-league options. It's why it was a curious move for Mike Elias and Co., considering the infield depth they already had in the organization.

While the Orioles have added Blaze Alexander since the back-and-forth with Ramos earlier this month, the start of spring training dealt sudden injuries to second baseman Jackson Holliday and third baseman Westburg.

Holliday is recovering from hand surgery and is expected to be sidelined up to two weeks after Opening Day. Westburg's timeline is more open-ended. The Orioles announced on Friday that Westburg is dealing with a partially torn UCL and will receive PRP injections. As of now, the expectation is that Westburg will miss the first month of the regular season.

Alexander and utility man Jeremiah Jackson are expected to handle duties at second base in Holliday's absence, and Coby Mayo should get a runway at third base to open the season. Assuming IL stints are for both Holliday and Westburg, it could be how Ramos winds up making the Orioles' Opening Day roster.

Ramos was among the White Sox's top prospects in recent years, but quickly fell out of favor with the major league coaching staff. Ramos, being a top prospect, may speak more to the lack of health of Chicago's farm system during his time with the organization than to his actual talent. His offense has left much to be desired since advancing past the Double-A level.

With Ramos being out of options, even if he does break camp with the Orioles, he likely wouldn't be long for the roster.