BALTIMORE -- Jackson Holliday won't be in the Orioles' Opening Day lineup on Thursday, but the 22-year-old infielder will be playing in a different team's 2026 season opener.
Holliday is set to begin a rehab assignment on Friday, when he'll play in Triple-A Norfolk's first game of the year against Nashville. It's a big step in the recovery of the former top prospect, who underwent surgery to remove the fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand on Feb. 12 and was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday (retroactive to Sunday).
In early February, Holliday reported to the O's Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla., prepared to begin his third MLB season. But on Feb. 6, he fractured his right hamate bone while swinging a bat. Five days later, president of baseball operations Mike Elias announced Holliday would open the season on the IL.
It's possible Holliday won't miss much time. The 2022 No. 1 overall Draft pick will be eligible to come off the injured list on April 1, at which point Baltimore will be only five games into its season.
Holliday's rehab assignment could last a bit longer than that, though, as he didn't get to participate in Spring Training, missing the entire Grapefruit League slate. He took live batting practice before the Orioles broke camp, and he participated in BP and fielding drills during the team's pre-Opening Day workout at Camden Yards on Wednesday.
"I think it'll just be how I feel," Holliday recently said. "If I get four hits a game, I'll probably be up a lot quicker. But depending on how I feel [will decide] how quickly it goes. But hoping for a quick turnout."
Once Holliday returns to the O's, he'll look to build upon his solid 2025 sophomore campaign. He took a step forward last season, hitting .242 with 21 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and a .689 OPS over 149 games. In 2024, he hit .189 with a .566 OPS in his 60-game debut stint in the Majors.
With Holliday out, Blaze Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson (who made his first Opening Day roster) are set to handle second base. Alexander, who was acquired in a trade with the D-backs on Feb. 5, is likely to start there in Thursday's opener vs. the Twins, though the 26-year-old will eventually move all around the diamond, as he can play anywhere in the infield or outfield.
Holliday is one of seven Baltimore players beginning the season on the injured list. He could soon be joined by Andrew Kittredge (right shoulder inflammation) at Norfolk, as the right-handed setup man is getting close to starting a rehab assignment.
The timelines are less certain for left-handed reliever Keegan Akin (left groin strain), outfielder Heston Kjerstad (right hamstring strain), infielder Jordan Westburg (partial right UCL tear) and righty reliever Colin Selby (right shoulder inflammation), while right-hander Félix Bautista (right shoulder surgery) won't be returning until September, at the earliest.