Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday was sent to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday after struggling since his callup on April. 10. Jess Rapfogel/Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Highly touted prospect Jackson Holliday has been optioned to the minor leagues by the Baltimore Orioles after starting his big league career with a disappointing thud.
Holliday was promoted from Triple-A Norfolk on April 10 amid plenty of fanfare, but the 20-year-old second baseman managed only two hits – both singles – and two walks in 36 plate appearances. He struck out 18 times and was batting just .059 with one RBI and a .111 on-base percentage.
The Orioles tried to rest him periodically, but Holliday, the top pick in the 2022 MLB draft, never busted out of his funk at the plate. So, Baltimore sent him back to Norfolk on Friday before opening a three-game series at home against the Oakland Athletics.
Holliday will seek to regain his form at the plate with Norfolk, where he batted .333 with five doubles, two homers and nine RBI in 10 games this season before being summoned by the Orioles.
Holliday excelled in the minors last season and was dominating Triple-A pitching at Norfolk, but that didn’t translate to success at the major league level during his time with the Orioles this month.
“You’re talking about somebody who’s never failed before,” Baltimore Manager Brandon Hyde said recently. “I don’t think anybody, except for the people that are down here in (uniform) understand how hard this is.”
The son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday was thought to have a chance to make the big league club out of spring training, but instead started with Norfolk. Now he’s back down again, looking to right himself and get a second chance with Baltimore.
His demotion could cost the Orioles a prospect promotion draft pick. The stipulation is that players with little or no MLB service time need to break camp with the team or be called up within two weeks of Opening Day. Then they must spend all or most of the year in the big leagues. In addition, they must either win their league’s Rookie of the Year award, or place in the top three for MVP or Cy Young.
BREWERS: Milwaukee left-handed pitcher Wade Miley said that he needs Tommy John surgery.
The 37-year-old Wiley was put on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation on April 22, retroactive to April 19.
MARLINS: Miami placed Opening Day starter Jesús Luzardo on the 15-day injured list because of left elbow tightness.
Luzardo, who was scheduled to pitch the opener of Miami’s four-game series against Washington, first experienced discomfort during his routine throwing a day earlier. He underwent imaging tests and the results have not been disclosed.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
ROYALS 8, TIGERS 0: Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and Kansas City won its fourth straight game, beating the Tigers in Detroit.
Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.
Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.
DODGERS 12, BLUE JAYS 2: Shohei Ohtani responded to boos from the Toronto crowd by hitting his seventh home run, Max Muncy and Will Smith also went deep and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to five games with a rout of the Blue Jays.
Smith had four hits and three RBIs as the Dodgers won in their first trip to Canada since 2016.
Muncy’s fifth homer of the season was a three-run shot off Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-4) that highlighted the Dodgers’ six-run third inning.
Some in the crowd of 39,688 booed Ohtani when he was introduced prior to the game and before each of his at-bats. Unfazed, the slugger homered on the third pitch he saw from Bassitt in the first inning.
BRAVES 6, GUARDIANS 2: Chris Sale shook off a homer on the seventh pitch of the game and Marcell Ozuna kept up his torrid start with two more RBI, leading Atlanta past visiting Cleveland in the opener of a series matching MLB’s two best teams.
The reigning NL East champion Braves won for the 10th time in 11 games to improve to 18-6, pushing them a game ahead of the AL-leading Guardians (18-8).
Sale (3-1) surrendered a homer to the very first hitter, Steven Kwan, whose 389-foot shot down the right-field line bounced around in the Chop House restaurant. Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. barely moved as Kwan circled the bases with the third leadoff homer of his career.
That was pretty much it against Sale, who gave up only one more hit while going seven innings for his third straight start. He walked one, struck out six and threw 67 of 95 pitches for strikes.
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