Holliday Begins Norfolk Rehab Assignment After Hand Surgery on MiLB Opening Day

Jackson Holliday won't be in the Orioles' Opening Day lineup Thursday, but the 22-year-old infielder will be playing in a different team's 2026 season opener. The Norfolk Tides announced that Holliday is scheduled to join the club on a Major League Rehab Assignment beginning on Opening Night at Harbor Park on March 27.

It is 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 Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday. In early February, Holliday reported to the Orioles' Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Florida, prepared to begin his third MLB season. On Feb. 6, he fractured his right hamate bone while swinging a bat.

He took live batting practice before the Orioles broke camp and participated in BP and fielding drills during the team's pre-Opening Day workout at Camden Yards on Wednesday. His path back to two-handed swings was a gradual one: throughout the early parts of his rehab, Holliday went through his swinging motion with just his left hand, also fielding ground balls and starting to throw again before resuming two-handed swings off a tee on March 7.

Holliday himself sounded measured but optimistic about his return timeline. "I think it'll just be how I feel," he 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." That sentiment aligns with the projections: even with this favorable timetable, Holliday will still miss at least the first two weeks of the year and likely won't get into a groove right away. RotoWire pegs him as trending toward a mid-April return from the IL if rehabilitation proceeds on schedule.

The hamate injury carries a cautionary footnote beyond just timing. Hamate bone injuries are notorious for having the lingering effect of sapping a hitter's power, meaning even after Holliday clears the Norfolk stint, recapturing his full stroke could take additional weeks. His rehab assignment could last a bit longer than typical, as he didn't get to participate in Spring Training, missing the entire Grapefruit League slate.

The Orioles open the season Thursday against the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards. With Jordan Westburg, dealing with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, also hurt, Blaze Alexander could see extra time at second base to begin the season. Holliday is one of seven Baltimore players beginning the season on the injured list. He could soon be joined by Andrew Kittredge at Norfolk, as the right-handed setup man is getting close to starting his own rehab assignment for right shoulder inflammation. The timelines are less certain for Keegan Akin, Heston Kjerstad, and Colin Selby, while Félix Bautista, recovering from right shoulder surgery, won't return until September at the earliest.

The Norfolk opener against Nashville puts Holliday's return in sharp focus for Orioles fans eager to see whether 2026 can be the breakout year the organization has been waiting for. Last season he took a step forward, hitting .242 with 21 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and 17 stolen bases across 149 games. Despite a slightly below-average 96 wRC+, Holliday still totaled 1.2 fWAR as one of baseball's youngest everyday players. The 2022 No. 1 overall pick has the pedigree and the trajectory; Friday night at Harbor Park is where the next chapter starts.