Second baseman Jackson Holliday will bat eighth in the lineup as the Baltimore Orioles open up a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Going into the Monday matchup, Baltimore is 23-30 and in fourth place in the American League East, 12.5 games back from the division lead.
On the mound for Tampa Bay is starting pitcher Shane McClanahan. This will be the third left-handed starting pitcher the Orioles have faced since Holliday was activated off the IL on May 18, but the first one he has been in the starting lineup against.
Against lefties, Baltimore has opted to use second baseman Jeremiah Jackson instead. Before the game started, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz addressed the decision to start Holliday.
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“We all see the talent and the impact player that he is and is going to be," Albernaz said, according to The Baltimore Sun's Matt Weyrich. "So definitely don't view him as a platoon player by any stretch.”
When making his MLB debut in 2024, the former No. 1 pick faced high expectations. However, he hasn't played at the All-Star level the Orioles have been hoping for.
Some of his biggest struggles have come against left-handed pitchers. Last season against lefties, he accumulated 165 at-bats, 33 hits, four home runs, 16 RBIs, and 11 walks. He slashed .200/.263/.309 with a .572 OPS.
However, he is just 22 years old with time to figure things out. He's been solid through five games this year, slashing .182/.308/.455 with a .763 OPS. However, McClanahan will be the first left-handed pitcher Holliday faces this season.
His ability to improve against left-handed pitching is a key storyline for the Orioles. Monday's matchup against the Rays could be an indicator of whether or not he can establish himself as an everyday player.
