SARASOTA, Fla. — Jackson Holliday strolled into the Orioles clubhouse Monday morning like every other position player here for the first full-squad workout of spring.
There was one major difference: Holliday came in with a cast around his right hand.
“Ready to get this thing off and get rolling,” he said.
Holliday broke the hamate bone in his right hand on February 4. It’s a brutal — and common — injury that stemmed from an innocuous act: just swinging the bat during live batting practice.
“Took one swing and knew something wasn’t right,” he said.
On Thursday, Holliday was in Los Angeles, where a surgeon removed the bone and “shaved some things down.”
“I think it’s pretty straightforward,” he said. “Talking to the training staff and the strength staff, it’s kind of the best surgery you can possibly have because it’s so quick and so easy.”
He won’t be ready for opening day, and he could miss the first few weeks of the regular season. But he hopes to be taking live batting practice again in three weeks.
“That’s my goal,” he said. “I mean, I’ve got nothing to do but try to get better as fast as I can.”
Replacing Holliday, who tied for the team lead with 17 home runs in 149 games last season, won’t be easy. Infielder Jordan Westburg can handle second base, but he’s recovering from a strained oblique and has dealt with injuries the last two years. Gunnar Henderson hasn’t played the position since his rookie season. Jeremiah Jackson came up as a second baseman, but in 2025 he primarily played shortstop in the minor leagues and third base and right field once he got called up to the majors.
Enter Blaze Alexander, the 26-year-old utilityman acquired from the Diamondbacks earlier this month.
Blaze Alexander warms up on the field at Ed Smith Stadium on Monday. (Paul Mancano/The Banner)
“I was actually just getting ready to go to the facility in Arizona, got the phone call,” Alexander said at his locker. “But stuff happens man, it’s the business.”
Alexander wasn’t acquired to replace Holliday — the trade went down a day before Holliday’s injury — but he’ll likely have to fill that role. Thirty-one of Alexander’s 119 big league games have come at second.
“I know my role coming here,” he said. “I never want to see that happen with anyone, especially a young guy. Jackson was actually probably one of the first guys to follow me on Instagram and stuff when the trade happened. Honestly, I can’t wait for that dude to be healthy, work with him, learn with him, and he’s a great athlete. He’s who he is for a reason and can’t wait to be his teammate.”
Despite hitting .230 with a subpar .706 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 2025, Alexander proved his worth in his versatility. Like Jeremiah Jackson, Alexander was asked to man positions in the majors he had rarely played in the minors, and comported himself well.
“I’ve mainly played infield,” he said. “Last year was my first year playing outfield, but went out there, played it well, just trusted myself to be an athlete wherever I’m at.”
The O’s showed just how much they valued Alexander by sending three players — reliever Kade Strowd and prospects Wellington Aracena and José Mejia — to Arizona to get him. Add in the fact that he’s out of minor league options, and Alexander appears to be a lock to break camp with the team.
Holliday, appearing upbeat, said he still expects to run the bases and take ground balls during spring training. As for hitting, he’ll take “mental reps.”
“I should be ready to go as far as my legs, so hopefully it’ll make that quicker.”