Orioles’ Mailbag: When will Jackson Holliday be back?

Every weekday, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: Any prediction when we might see Jackson Holliday back in Baltimore? From: @SportsballIsFun

Answer: The guess here is that Holliday spends about a month back at Norfolk. I think the Orioles would like to see him get more at-bats against left-handers, and that they won’t bring him up quickly, unless there’s an injury and he’s playing well.

Of course, I thought he would start the season with the Orioles, and was surprised at both the timing of his recall on April 10th and his demotion last Friday.

Question: Can you explain how the talent-rich Norfolk team lost 10 straight after its hot start? From: Glenn Fuller

Answer: Glenn, the Tides’ pitching has been weak in many games. Even during Norfolk’s hot start when they went 7-1, they gave up fewer than six runs just once. They had four games when they allowed eight or more. Their bats have also cooled considerably, especially during the time when Jackson Holliday was called up to the Orioles.