Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday is expected to start at third base for Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday. It’ll be his third professional appearance at the hot corner. Holliday is working his way back from a hamate bone fracture. The 22-year-old has been almost exclusively a second baseman at the big-league level.
“We talked to him, see where his head is at, and he was for it,” manager Craig Albernaz told reporters, including Roch Kubatko of MASN. “I think if you look at our roster, versatility is something that we need.”
Holliday was one of three notable hamate injuries in the spring, along with Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll. While Lindor and Carroll were ready for Opening Day, Holliday has struggled to make it back to the majors. He’s had his rehab paused multiple times due to soreness in his surgically repaired hand. Holliday was in the Baysox lineup on Thursday after a two-week absence from minor league action.
It’s been three years since Holliday has appeared at third base. He played there for one game apiece at High-A and Double-A during the 2023 campaign. Holliday has made 188 starts at second base as a big leaguer. He’s made seven starts at shortstop. The defensive metrics have not been kind to Holliday. He posted -10 Defensive Runs Saved as Baltimore’s primary second baseman in 2025. Holliday ranked in the 5th percentile with -8 Outs Above Average. He’s been worth -2 DRS in his limited time at shortstop.
The Orioles haven’t just been missing Holliday in the infield this season. Third baseman Jordan Westburg has yet to suit up after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear during Spring Training. He was recently shut down from baseball activities due to elbow pain, per Kubatko. Albernaz relayed that Westburg has a follow-up appointment on Monday.
Holliday’s injury opened up playing time for Jeremiah Jackson. The 26-year-old got off to a strong start as the primary option at the keystone. Jackson had a .768 OPS at the end of April, punctuated by a grand slam on the final day of the month. He’s just 3-for-23 so far in May, but he’s mostly held his own as an everyday player. Jackson has been worth 4 DRS at second base.
It hasn’t gone so well for Westburg’s replacement. Coby Mayo is hitting .163 with a 29.9% strikeout rate through 33 games. The 24-year-old has the seventh-lowest wRC+ (42) among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances. Mayo has posted -3 DRS at third base. He’s now at -7 DRS in 42 big-league games at the position. Weston Wilson and Blaze Alexander have also chipped in at third base, with uninspiring offensive results.
Getting Holliday up to speed at third base would give Albernaz the option to keep Jackson in the lineup. Jackson himself has big-league experience at the hot corner, but Baltimore may prefer to keep his glove at second base. At the very least, it’ll add some lineup flexibility once Holliday is ready to return.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
