Surprise Jackson Holliday injury just wrecked Orioles' vision for Opening Day roster

The Baltimore Orioles entered camp needing a lot to go right to have a realistic chance at a deep playoff run. The rotation appears unfinished at the moment, and there are a number of new faces to adjust to, but a clear path towards a great season was evident if things broke their way. Unfortunately, one of the players they needed to have a true bounce-back season from, Jackson Holliday, is off to a horrid start in his 2026 spring training.

Holliday is coming off a season where he showed flashes of brilliance, but also where he was frustratingly inconsistent at the plate. Most thought that his talent would win out and that he was a prime candidate to break through this coming season, but all bets are off now, as it was revealed that Holliday has a broken hand and will not be ready for Opening Day.

Jackson Holliday has a broken hand and now the Orioles have to regroup

Hamate bones can be tricky, given that how quickly they heal often seems random and can range from a relatively short absence to a months-long recovery process. The one thing that we do know for sure is that Holliday suffered the injury just a few days ago in batting practice, so being ready by Opening Day is out of the question.

However, what happens next will determine a lot about how the Orioles' (and Holliday's) seasons are going to go. Baltimore did just trade for Blaze Alexander, who, at minimum, can handle the position defensively and does have some upside at the plate. Sometimes, even the weirdest moves end up working out.

For Holliday, he is now going to have to go through the rehab process and then knock the rust off quickly upon his return. The Orioles can survive in the short-term, but they really need a productive Holliday to get where they want to go. Unfortunately, those plans encountered a bit of a speedbump with this injury news.