WASHINGTON — Luis Vázquez, one of the Orioles infielders competing for an opening day roster spot, broke his right thumb when he was hit by a pitch Sunday during the penultimate exhibition game of the year.

Vázquez required stitches for his thumb Sunday, and manager Craig Albernaz said Monday afternoon that X-rays confirmed the broken digit. It’s poor timing for Vázquez, who was in the mix for a bench role while infielder Jackson Holliday recovers from surgery for a broken hamate bone in his hand. (Holliday expects to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk at the end of this week.)

The Orioles don’t need to finalize their roster until Thursday, so there is still time for deliberation — or even an external addition — before Baltimore trots down the orange carpet at Camden Yards on opening day. Vázquez is no longer in the picture, though, and Albernaz said there isn’t an exact timetable for his recovery.

The competition for the final infield spot now appears to revolve around Jeremiah Jackson, Bryan Ramos and Weston Wilson. The advantage for Wilson and Jackson is their positional flexibility; both can play in the outfield. Ramos is mostly a third baseman but received a start at second base this spring.

Even without an official announcement, much of the Orioles’ roster appears set for Thursday. The rotation is known (Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin). The outfield will probably feature Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras.

That leaves one or two bullpen places (depending on the health of left-hander Keegan Akin, who underwent an MRI on his hip adductor Monday) and the infield spot (to join Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, Blaze Alexander, Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle).

Jackson may have the best case, particularly with his defensive flexibility. He’s more known for his bat than his glove, but he can play second, third and both corner outfield spots. Jackson hit .276 with a .775 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 170 at-bats last season.

Ramos, 24, is also on the 40-man roster. But unlike Jackson, Ramos is out of minor league options, which means the Orioles would have to designate him for assignment. He played sparingly in the majors for the Chicago White Sox in 2024 and 2025, but performed well this spring, with a .316 average and .855 OPS.

Wilson is a non-roster invite who would need to be added to the 40-man roster if he breaks camp with the club. The 31-year-old has experience all over the field (first base, second base, third base and both corner outfield spots), and he learned that versatility can be the key attribute in a player.

“Honestly, I feel like I showed what I can do. I had an OK camp. Started off hot, had a couple games that probably weren’t the best, but since then I put some good at-bats together,” Wilson said. “I showed versatility. I feel like I can really help this team. Just seeing and waiting what’s next.”