BALTIMORE -- The 2026 season has ended early for two of the Orioles' top young stars.
Jackson Holliday is scheduled to undergo surgery on his injured left wrist early next week, while Samuel Basallo was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list prior to Wednesday's split doubleheader vs. the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace Basallo on the 28-man active roster.
Holliday was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 16 (retroactive to Sept. 15) due to left wrist inflammation. The 22-year-old infielder met with a wrist specialist in Baltimore this past Saturday, then went over his options moving forward.
It was then decided the best path forward would be for Holliday to get surgery, as he was diagnosed with a partial TFCC (triangular fibrocartilage complex) tear.
"They've just got to get in there and figure out how severe it is," Holliday said. "It's not completely torn, so that's great. Hopefully, just go in there and clean it up and that'll be that."
Holliday said he's been told to likely expect a recovery period of about 10 weeks. Both he and manager Craig Albernaz are optimistic that the youngster will be ready to go for the start of Spring Training in 2027.
"It's one of those where it's a smaller ligament, so once they get in there, they can make a better assessment," Albernaz said. "But a healthy offseason is always a huge aspect for any player, never mind a young player. But identifying this and getting Jackie out there earlier than later is going to help him have a better offseason."
In his third big league season, Holliday hit .229 with 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs and a .640 OPS in 98 games. He underwent right hamate surgery in mid-February and began the season on the IL, not making his 2026 debut until May 19.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and the former top prospect in baseball, Holliday has yet to fully reach his potential. However, the youngster has still shown plenty of promise and will look to continue to improve in '27.
"Definitely frustrating, kind of dealing with similar things all year -- starting the year with no right hand, and then ending the year with no left hand. Kind of frustrating, but obviously had to grind through it," Holliday said. "Definitely challenging, but I learned from it. What I'm taking into this offseason is trying to get stronger and just improve all around and try to get healthy."
Basallo exited Monday's 4-3 win over Toronto in the seventh inning after previously taking a foul tip off the catcher's mask in the fifth. The 22-year-old rookie was then checked over after the game.
Like Holliday, Basallo has dealt with extended time on the IL this year, as he was previously sidelined by right shoulder inflammation from July 20-Aug. 19. The shoulder also continued to bother him at times in September.
"Concussions are so finicky," Albernaz said. "Sometimes, it's immediate, and sometimes, it kind of shows up as the night goes. And luckily, we got Sammy up when we did and the symptoms crept up at night. Obviously, you've seen him walking around the clubhouse. It's a quote-unquote not as severe concussion. But during the test, there were a few boxes that he didn't check."
Basallo hit .222 with 10 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .696 OPS in 112 games during his first full big league season. But there were plenty of bright spots throughout the year for the former top prospect.
"I think Sammy handled himself extremely well," Albernaz said. "There was a lot of growth with Sammy, especially the behind the scenes, the unseen hours and the prep. ... He's such a smart kid, wants to do everything right, and he's done a great job of navigating that."