Jackson Holliday Optioned to Triple-A Norfolk by Orioles; Hit .059 in 10 MLB Games

Second baseman Jackson Holliday has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after 10 games with the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced Friday.

The No. 1 pick of the 2022 draft recorded the second hit of his regular-season MLB career Tuesday during the Orioles' 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

He batted .059 in 36 appearances at the plate, striking out 18 times and walking twice.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias discussed what Friday's decision means for the young player:

Holliday was coming off of a strong performance in Orioles spring training, during which he batted .311 with two triples and a pair of home runs in 15 games.

The 20-year-old will now return for further development in the minors, where he was batting .333 in 10 games prior to his call-up.

The Orioles also announced the recall of Ryan McKenna from Triple-A Norfolk, while designating catcher David Bañuelos for reassignment.

The MLB's top prospect connected with the ball in his final appearance for Baltimore prior to reassignment with a single that clocked in at 104.4 miles per hour.

Holliday will leave the Orioles with a .059/.111/.059 slash line.

The top prospect said he "wasn't expecting" his early-career struggles at the plate when speaking earlier this week with The Athletic's Sam Blum.

"I'm just making some adjustments, because you got to. It's a lot more difficult than Triple A," Holliday told Blum. "I don't think there's very many people in the big leagues who haven't struggled. It just happens to be at the beginning.

"I knew what I was getting myself into. It's the best of the best of the best for a reason. I guess I haven't had a challenge yet, and this is the first one. … It's obviously challenging, but I feel like I'm handling it the best that I can.

The team has reason to stay confident Holliday will eventually succeed against MLB pitchers. This isn't the first time Baltimore has seen a top prospect go through ups and downs before becoming a roster regular.

Catcher Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft who hit his first career grand slam last Friday, was sent down from his first spring training with the team.

After a successful 2022 debut, top prospect Gunnar Henderson also got off to a slow batting start to his career at the beginning of last season.

The Orioles will now hope Holliday can now follow their paths to becoming successful MLB hitters after another stint in the minors.