SARASOTA, Fla. -- Jackson Holliday's third MLB season will begin with a stint on the injured list.
On the first day of Spring Training workouts in Sarasota on Wednesday, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias shared that Holliday broke the hamate bone in his right hand while hitting in the cage last Friday. The 22-year-old second baseman will undergo a procedure to remove the bone on Thursday, which will cause him to go on the IL and miss Opening Day.
Elias said the timeline for Holliday's return is likely to be measured in "weeks" following Opening Day, which is set for March 26 vs. the Twins at Camden Yards.
"It's a pretty common baseball injury for a very long time, happens to hitters a lot and it's nothing concerning long term, but he's going to miss some time," Elias said. "You're not going to see much of him here in Sarasota."
MLB Pipeline's former No. 1 overall prospect, Holliday reached the Majors less than two years after being taken by Baltimore with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday was called up by the O's in '24, hitting .189 with a .565 OPS in 60 games over two stints.
But Holliday showed considerable improvement in 2025, solidifying his role as the Orioles' everyday second baseman. He posted a .242/.314/.375 slash line with 21 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 149 games, the second most played on the team.
This year, Holliday was expected to take another big step forward -- and that could still be the case. It just might happen later than expected, with his timeline for a return to action unclear.
"I just feel for Jackson," manager Craig Albernaz said. "He had a great offseason and comes in here early and he's looking great, and a freak thing [happens]. ... But his mindset right now is great. He's going to get the surgery and go through the process of rehab and he'll be ready to go."
Elias also announced that third baseman Jordan Westburg is working through a right oblique injury, and while he has turned a corner, Westburg's participation in Grapefruit League games will be delayed. But Westburg's Opening Day status is not expected to be in jeopardy, Elias said.
"About three weeks ago, when he was ramping up, tweaked his right oblique a little bit," Elias said. "He's in the process of getting fully better, but he may be a couple of games late."
Westburg may get some time at second while Holliday is injured, though recent acquisition Blaze Alexander is a utility man who could handle the position. Jeremiah Jackson is also a candidate to play second and third, while Coby Mayo is expected to get a good bit of work at third this spring in addition to first.
Here were the rest of the injury updates shared by Elias:
- Right-hander Colin Selby is experiencing right shoulder inflammation, which will cause him to miss Opening Day and open the season on the IL. The 28-year-old was expected to be among the candidates for a bullpen role in a fairly open competition.
- Right-hander Félix Bautista (right shoulder surgery) continues to progress well, and there remains "some potential" that the 30-year-old closer could pitch in 2026, though it wouldn't be until late in the season. Elias said the O's "don't want to put pressure that he needs to appear this season, because it's possible that he doesn't, but he's off to a good start."
- Right-hander Zach Eflin (back surgery) is a full-go in camp and is throwing bullpen sessions. It remains the expectation that the 31-year-old will be in Baltimore's rotation to open the season.