Holliday restarts rehab assignment, expected back in mid-May

MIAMI -- For the Orioles, the focus remains on taking things day by day over the course of a 162-game season. That same approach is being applied to infielder Jackson Holliday as he continues working his way back from a right hand injury.

Holliday took live batting practice with Double-A Chesapeake on Tuesday and began his third rehab assignment on Thursday, the club announced prior to Baltimore’s series finale against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. Holliday was in Chesapeake's lineup batting second as the designated hitter. He isn't expected to return to the Orioles until at least mid-May.

“He's checking every box. Everything feels good. He's put in great work. He feels great. And that's the biggest thing is whatever the player feels like,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “So it's all great signs for Jackson, but we want to take it one day at a time. Each day, I'm gonna check in with him [and] our training staff to make sure that he has everything he needs.”

The 22-year-old second baseman has yet to make his 2026 debut after undergoing surgery on Feb. 12 to remove the fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand. Holliday has spent the entire season on the 10-day IL after originally suffering the fracture shortly after reporting to Spring Training in Sarasota, Fla., in February.

His most recent setback came on April 22, when he exited his rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk because of right hand discomfort. Follow-up testing showed only minor inflammation, which is considered normal discomfort during the recovery process from a hamate procedure.

Despite the delay, the Orioles continue to view the progress as encouraging. Across his first 14 rehab games this season, Holliday slashed .176/.250/.235 in 56 plate appearances. He appeared in 12 games with Triple-A Norfolk and two with High-A Frederick, and he joined Double-A Chesapeake this week for its series against the Altoona Curve at Prince George's Stadium.

The assignment marks Holliday’s first appearance with the Baysox since 2023. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft made his Double-A debut on July 14, 2023, becoming the first 19-year-old to play for the Baysox since Manny Machado in 2012.

He later became the 218th former Baysox player to reach the Major Leagues when he debuted for Baltimore on April 10, 2024. Last season, Holliday batted .242 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs across 149 games for the Orioles, finishing as a finalist in the American League All-Star fan vote at second base.

Before this season, Holliday had never been placed on the injured list during his first two professional seasons. He is currently one of 11 Orioles players on the IL entering Thursday’s matchup and owns a .229/.300/.360 slash line across his Major League career.