Jackson Holliday has been recalled to the Baltimore Orioles and appeared in their lineup on Wednesday, marking the top-ranked prospect’s first time with the big club since being demoted in April following a rocky start to his MLB career.
Holliday started at second base and batted eighth in the Orioles’ 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
After grounding out in his first two at bats, he made his appearance with a grand slam in the fifth inning.
The 20-year-old Holliday played 10 games with the Orioles in April and struggled at the plate. In 34 at-bats, he batted .059 with two hits, one RBI and 18 strikeouts. He was sent back to Triple-A and hit .271/.431/.477 with 10 homers, 38 RBI and 75 walks in 73 games.
Holliday, the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday, returns to the Orioles to close out a three-game series against the Blue Jays, then head on a 10-game road trip to Cleveland, Toronto and Tampa.
Holliday’s call-up comes after the Orioles made a series of moves ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Connor Norby, who had been their starting second baseman after replacing the injured Jorge Mateo, was sent to the Miami Marlins in a deal. With All-Star Gunnar Henderson locked in at shortstop (Holliday’s natural position), Holliday has been moved to second base.
Holliday faced lofty expectations even before he was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. He played with all four of the Orioles’ full-season minor-league affiliates in 2023 and got off to a hot start earlier this season at Triple-A Norfolk. In 10 games at Triple-A before his April call-up, he slashed .333/.482/.595 with two home runs and nine RBI.
The Orioles currently hold a half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East, with a record of 65-44.
