Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday was placed on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured list with elbow inflammation, the team announced Friday.
Holliday was hitting .270 with seven home runs across his two stints in Triple-A this season. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft went 0-for-2 with three walks in his most recent game Wednesday and did not play in the Tides’ game Thursday.
The 20-year-old infielder began to heat up in May, slashing .260/.426/.440 with four homers in the month, then slowed down through the first two weeks of June with a .212 average in 10 games before landing on the injured list.
Holliday made tweaks to his swing after being optioned, including crouching down lower before the pitch to allow him to adjust mid-swing, in hopes of returning to the Orioles later this season. Holliday struggled in his first taste of the majors, slashing .059/.111/.059 with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 10 games. Jorge Mateo has remained the Orioles’ everyday second baseman, and infield prospect Connor Norby was called up from Triple-A earlier this month to make his major league debut before being sent back down Tuesday.
The injury isn’t viewed as serious and will give Holliday, who’s played 40 games with the Tides since the Orioles optioned him back to the minors in April, some extra rest. After joining Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson as Orioles prospects to lead Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings, Holliday is now No. 2 behind Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes.
Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcast that the organization is hoping “it’s not a big deal.”
“His elbow’s barking, basically,” Elias said. “We got it looked at, we had some tests done. At this time, there’s nothing that we’re planning on doing other than resting it. Hopefully, it’s more of a week or two or three kind of thing, but I don’t want to put anything on it right now timeline-wise. Guys play long seasons of baseball, and their arms flare up from time to time and that’s what it looks like with him.”
Around the horn
• Right-hander Dean Kremer will make his first rehabilitation start with Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. Hyde said the plan is for Kremer to pitch about four innings, then the club will reevaluate if the veteran starter will need another rehab outing before rejoining the Orioles.
• Hyde said there were no updates on left-hander Danny Coloumbe’s status or when right-hander Tyler Wells will undergo surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Coloumbe was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday with elbow inflammation, but he said Wednesday that he’s “optimistic” regarding when he could return.