SARASOTA, Fla. -- At the beginning of every Spring Training, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias stands outside the main building at the Ed Smith Stadium complex and gives the media a rundown of new/updated injuries. Fans have learned to hold their breath and hope none of the news is too bad -- but that wasn’t exactly the case this year.
On Wednesday morning, Elias shared that second baseman Jackson Holliday has a broken hamate bone in his right hand that will cause the 22-year-old to miss Opening Day and begin the season on the injured list. Holliday’s timeline to return will be measured in “weeks” following the opener, per Elias.
What will Baltimore do at second base in the meantime?
“We’re actually going to have a meeting about this topic a little later today, how we want to portion time in Spring Training, but it’s certainly something that’s on our minds,” Elias said.
“To give a specific name right now, or names, we don’t have one right now,” manager Craig Albernaz added. “But we do have a lot of people that can play second base.”
Here are five players who could help fill the void at the position.
Jordan Westburg
The Orioles’ projected starting third baseman is dealing with an injury of his own at the moment, having tweaked his right oblique in late January. The 26-year-old is expected to miss the first few games of Grapefruit League play this spring, but he should be ready for Opening Day.
Westburg has spent most of his three-year MLB career at third (148 games, 133 starts), but he has significant experience at second (120 games, 92 starts). One possibility is for the O’s to primarily slide Westburg to second, which could then create a spot for Coby Mayo at third. (Mayo is part of a first-base logjam and not guaranteed to break camp with the team.)
Blaze Alexander
A day before Holliday broke his right hamate bone, the Orioles acquired Alexander in a trade with the D-backs. At the time, Elias was hoping to bolster his club’s infield depth, also knowing that Westburg could have a slower start to camp.
It worked out well that Baltimore acquired the 26-year-old utility man before it became clear how badly the O’s would need more coverage at second. If the plan is to keep Westburg at third, then Alexander could get the bulk of the work at second, where he’s made 27 of his 101 starts in two big league seasons.
But Alexander’s ability to play second, third, shortstop and all three outfield spots means he may not stay at any one position for too long as the Orioles look to capitalize on his versatility by moving him around.
Jeremiah Jackson
When Alexander was acquired, it became less likely that Jackson would break the Opening Day roster. With Holliday hitting the IL, Jackson may have a better path, though he’ll still be competing with the likes of Mayo, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and others for a spot on the bench.
Jackson’s best tool is his bat, as the 25-year-old hit .276 with a .775 OPS in 48 games during his debut MLB stint last year. But this spring, he’ll need to prove he can play solid enough defense at multiple positions -- at least second, third and right field, the three spots he appeared at for the O's in 2025.
Weston Wilson
Albernaz mentioned Wilson by name as somebody who it could help to have as infield depth. The 31-year-old has played more outfield than infield in three big league seasons with the Phillies, but he has experience at second.
Wilson, a non-roster invitee in camp, has shown some offensive potential, hitting eight homers and posting a .733 OPS in 92 games for Philadelphia over the past two years. However, his path to a roster spot would likely only open if the Orioles lost another player due to injury.
A player not currently in camp
Elias has said he’s continuing to explore the free-agent/trade markets for potential pitching acquisitions, and he’ll be doing the same on the position-player side, as he didn’t rule out bringing in a player to help add further depth at second base.
“Maybe there will be somebody who’s not in camp, I don’t really know that. But that’s possible, too,” Elias said. “I definitely think the internal options that we have, it’s enough to assess for the situation that we’re looking at. I think we’re comfortable there. But we’ll monitor outside.”