Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday has been activated off the injured list for his first action of the season, the team announced on Monday. Holliday joined the team in St. Petersburg, Fla. ahead of the Orioles’ three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to reports.
Going into his third MLB season, Holliday, 22, sustained a fractured hamate bone in his right hand during spring workouts. He underwent surgery to remove the hamate on Feb. 12.
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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll had the same procedure performed on their broken hands during the spring. Both players were in the Opening Day lineup for their respective teams.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Holliday batted .242/.314/.375 with 17 home runs, 21 doubles, 55 RBI and 17 stolen bases last season in 149 games. A natural shortstop, he’s mostly played at second base with the Orioles. Advanced metrics credited him with -10 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average.
Holliday was pulled from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. Overall, he played 22 games while working his way back, suffering a setback when he was feeling discomfort in his right hand in late April. Imaging exams found inflammation, but no structural damage. After the inflammation subsided, Holliday resumed his rehab assignment on May 7.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz did not put Holliday into the starting lineup for Monday’s game. When he playes, the question is whether or not he will return to second base. Jeremiah Jackson has been the starter at that position and compiled a slash average of .248/.265/.411 with six home runs and 25 RBI. He’s also played solid defense in the field.
Holliday could end up playing third base, where he saw some time during his rehab assignment. He might provide more of an offensive upgrade, as Coby Mayo has struggled to a .185/.258/.345 slash line with five homers and 18 RBI. Orioles third basemen rank second-to-last in the AL with a .556 OPS this season.
Baltimore has gone 6-10 in May, dropping them to fourth place in the AL East, 10 games behind the first-place Rays.
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