Orioles celebrate Holliday’s grand slam, worry about Westburg’s broken hand

BALTIMORE-What happened? After Wednesday’s game, it was a bittersweet clubhouse for the Orioles. They celebrated Jackson Holliday’s first career home run, a grand slam, but they also were disappointed for Jordan Westburg, whose right hand was broken.

Immediately before Holliday’s fifth-inning home run, Westburg was hit on the right hand by Yerry Rodriguez, and though he stayed in the game and scored on Holliday’s homer, he left the game immediately after the inning.

Holliday was brought up after the Orioles traded Connor Norby to Miami on Tuesday. With Jorge Mateo likely out for the rest of the regular season because of a left elbow injury, Holliday will get most of the time at second base.

Westburg, who might have played second against left-handers, is out, and the Orioles are going to add infielder Liván Soto, according to MASNsports.com. Soto was acquired from Cincinnati on Tuesday as part of the deal that included outfielder Austin Slater. Soto was with the Orioles briefly during spring training before he was lost on a waiver claim to the Los Angeles Angels. The Orioles reclaimed him and lost him in April to the Reds.

There was speculation that the Orioles might promote infielder Coby Mayo to replace Westburg, but they chose Soto for now.

“We’re not sure of the timetable on his return, but hopefully by the end of the regular season,” manager Brandon Hyde said about Westburg after the Orioles’ 10-4 win over Toronto on Wednesday. The Orioles also have Ramón Urias, who won a Gold Glove at third base in 2022.

“All-Star player. Injuries are a part of the game,” Hyde said. “We have to pick up the pieces for him. We’ve got to play well. He’s a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything. He’s right in the middle of everything. We have to have other guys kind of step up in his place and fill the void.”

Holliday was 1-for-5, with two groundouts, a strikeout and a fly out to left. He also nearly had a second home run when a ball went just to the left of the foul pole in left.

His home run landed on Eutaw Street, traveling 439 feet. He was the third Oriole to hit a grand slam for his first major league home run. The spot where the ball landed was marked, and fans took pictures of it with their cell phones.

“That was a great swing and they’re celebrating in the clubhouse for him,” Hyde said. “We have a little bit of a bittersweet attitude going right now with Westy. Jackson with a huge hit for us today. I thought his at-bats were much better. Even the outs to left field and the almost home run down the left-field line, stayed on the baseball so much better. Even the fly out to left field was a good swing, two strikes. Swing’s a little bit shorter. I like the swings today.”

What did Holliday think of his day? Early Wednesday morning, Holliday walked over to this locker, which was far away from the one he had in his first stint in April.

When the Orioles promoted him for 10 games early in the season, Holliday was just 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts. He’d been back at Triple-A Norfolk for three months and made adjustments to his swing.  

Holliday missed time in June because of inflammation in his right elbow, which limited his time at second base, but made the most of his time there.

“It was obviously sad to go back down, but I made some adjustments and improved a little bit,” he said. “I set myself up for the second time around.”

The 20-year-old isn’t used to failure, but he maintained a positive outlook.

“Obviously, this is the best league in the world, and I got shown that,” he said. “I’m definitely more prepared than I was last time.”

After Norby was included along with another of his Norfolk teammates, outfielder Kyle Stowers, in the deal with the Marlins for left-handed starter Trevor Rogers, Holliday suspected he would return.

“I’ve been playing pretty well. I’ve been happy with the past few weeks and how I’ve been swinging it and getting back from a little bit of an injury and being able to play defense and being able to be out there for nine innings,” he said. “I thought I put myself in a good position. With everything happening [Tuesday], I thought I had a chance.”

The home run came on an 0-2 pitch.

“It’s pretty surreal. Couldn’t have dreamt it up any better for a first home run,” he said. “It’s just exciting to be able to help the team win, you know? When I was struggling, I felt like I couldn’t really do that. But to be able to come through in a big spot is more important to me than anything else.”

Holliday is trying to make sure his second stint is far better than his first.

“Just try to keep it simple,” Holliday said. “That was something the last time I was up here I caught myself trying to do a little bit too much; I’m overswinging. I had some practice with it in Triple-A in big spots and just to simplify things and try to hit a line drive right at the shortstop. Got a slider, and I’ve hit some homers off sliders in the past and was able to put a good swing on it.”

There wasn’t any doubt in Holliday’s mind that he’d homered. He watched the ball travel toward Eutaw Street and flipped his bat.

“That’s about as best as I can hit a ball. That’s about all I got,” he said.

Holliday plans to stay this time.

“That was my goal last time. That’s definitely my goal this time, to be able  to come up here and help this team win and hopefully make a long playoff run,” he said. “Last time, it was all a blur.”

Rodriguez wins again: Grayson Rodriguez is 13-4 after he allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

Colton Cowser hit his 16^th home run and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Ryan Mountcastle had a two-run triple.

Like Holliday, Cowser had a difficult first stint in the major leagues last season, hitting .115 in 26 games.

“Just because I had been in that position before, it’s kind of one of those situations where you put your head down and go grinding,” Cowser said. “Jackson’s a very hard-working guy and that was something that’s hopefully not going to last. He was playing really well in Triple-A, and I’m excited to watch him.”

Holliday is also the first Oriole whose first home run landed near The Warehouse.

“He’s got one more Eutaw Street home run than me,” Cowser joked.

Elias on Holliday, Kimbrel: On Wednesday morning, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spoke about the trades of the last week and about Holliday and struggling closer Craig Kimbrel.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for him,” Elias said of Holliday. Without Mateo or Norby around, Holliday will get lots of playing time.

“Put in some good work and some good experience in Triple-A that he didn’t get when we called him up right at the beginning of the season. I think he’s going to be better off for it. I think this is a good chance for him, and we’re going to give it some time. Hopefully, it’s going to be really good. Really happy for him and proud of the work that he put in. I don’t want to put any pressure on him. This is a time period where he’s got some runway in front of him because of the vacancy that we have at second base right now.”

The 36-year-old Kimbrel worked a scoreless eighth.

“He’s going to be right in the thick of things,” Elias said. “This is one of the best ever to do it. He’s at an age and experience level in his career where he’s not 24 years old anymore, but he’s still one of the leaders in saves in all of baseball.

“He’s gone on an extended run of excellence this season. He’s got another one right around the corner. Players have ups and downs throughout the year. Every player on our team. You look at our star hitters, they’ve had ups and downs, and it seems like so far Craig’s ups and downs have been concentrated in a couple of really rough patches and then just throwing blanks for 25 straight innings or whatever.”

Elias on ‘untouchables’: Elias was asked if the Orioles’ top prospects — Holliday, Double-A Bowie catcher Samuel Basallo, 19, and Norfolk’s Mayo, 22 — were off limits.

“You never really fully say that but, more or less, every time a ranking came out, Holliday, Basallo and Mayo were ranked higher and higher and higher and you got three very young kids that are consensus top-15 prospects in all of baseball,” he said. “The value on that makes it really hard to find something to trade them for that makes any sense and the types of players that you would even fathom having discussions with those guys didn’t even get traded. So, it really didn’t come up.”

What’s the word? This is a really good team. We have an idea of what this team looks like when it’s not in a funk. I think the team would have been fine without a flurry of trades. But certainly we look a lot more fortified now and able to withstand injuries or downtrends in performance now that we have more quality major league players here in the fold.”-Elias on how the trades will help the Orioles.

What does it mean? Westburg’s injury is an enormous one and replacing him will be difficult.

What’s the stat of the day? 3. Holliday is the third Oriole whose first major league home run was a grand slam. He joins Fritz Connally (April 19^th, 1985) and Frank Baker (September 28^th, 1973.)

What’s next? The Orioles will open a four-game series in Cleveland on Thursday. They haven’t announced their starter, but it could be Rogers, who acquired on Tuesday from Miami. Cleveland will start Ben Lively (9-6, 3.44). Game time is 6:40 p.m.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com