The swing Jackson Holliday took in Tuesday’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk sent a shock through him.

“It felt like I broke my hand again,” Holliday said.

This has not been easy for Holliday. He’s recovering from February surgery to remove the broken hamate bone from his right hand, and the recovery timeline for each person is different. The Orioles infielder will be shut down for about a week to allow inflammation in his hand to settle.

The good news, though, is that there is nothing structurally wrong with Holliday’s hand. He received an X-ray, a CT scan and an MRI this week. He met with doctors, including the surgeon who operated on him, and the prevailing opinion is that Holliday just needs time.

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“Obviously, kind of concerning having that kind of pain. I guess it’s not normal, but obviously, nothing structurally wrong,” Holliday said of his final swing in Norfolk. “I guess, whenever a tendon rolls over a nerve, it can kind of cause that. So it kind of freaked me out, kind of dealing with everything. Didn’t feel great, so I’m glad everything is OK.”

A timeline is hard to pin down for Holliday. President of baseball operations Mike Elias said the Orioles “were probably expecting to have him back around now,” but no two recoveries are the same.

“From the scans and the exams, doesn’t seem to be anything damaged,” Elias said. “It’s something his hand is adjusting to, the lack of the bone, and had some soft-tissue pain. Unfortunately, this is adding time, but it’s all within the possible spectrum, the normal spectrum, of outcomes with a hamate injury.”

Some players, such as Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, recover more quickly. Carroll is already back playing. But Holliday said his mom received a text from Lance Berkman, the six-time All-Star. Berkman told Holliday’s mom his hamate bone surgery took awhile to recover from.

“Don’t be discouraged, because some guys take longer than others,” Berkman wrote.

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Holliday’s first rehab assignment was cut short this month after 11 games due to mild right wrist soreness. Holliday’s dad, seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, told Foul Territory the pain was on the opposite side of Holliday’s wrist from the surgery, which came as a result of overcompensating.

After time off, Holliday began a second rehab assignment, first with High-A Frederick. He played two games there before returning to Triple-A Norfolk. But that was cut short once Holliday felt sharp pain after a swing in his first plate appearance.

“I’d love to be back here already,” Holliday said. “It’s just kind of how things have gone. But I know, when I come back up here, I want to be able to feel great. I know I’m going to deal with some things and it’s just part of it, but I want to be in a position where I’m confident going up to the plate and take a swing without my hand feeling terrible.”

Elias offered incremental injury updates for the following players, as well.

  • Outfielder Tyler O’Neill and right-hander Andrew Kittredge returned to the majors Friday after dealing with a concussion and shoulder inflammation, respectively.
  • Infielder Jordan Westburg is in Florida throwing and hitting after receiving a platelet-rich-plasma injection in his sprained elbow. “No news is good news,” Elias said. “The train kind of continues to move in the expected direction.” Elias said the Orioles aren’t considering having Westburg return only as a hitter.
  • Right-hander Dean Kremer is dealing with a minor quadriceps strain he suffered while working out between starts. He’ll miss “several weeks,” Elias said.
  • Outfielder Heston Kjerstad is doing full baseball activities. He’s recovering from a hamstring strain. Elias said a rehab assignment is “around the corner.”
  • Left-hander Keegan Akin (groin strain) is with the Orioles and could return in a few days.
  • Left-hander Dietrich Enns (foot infection) should also return soon.
  • Right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo has an inflamed shoulder joint that will “take a little bit of time,” Elias said. He is expected to return in the first half of the season, though.

New game time

The second game of the Orioles’ series against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday has been moved to 12:05 p.m. instead of 4:05 p.m. Inclement weather is expected in the evening. The first 20,000 fans will still receive an Orioles hockey jersey.

The tickets for the original 4:05 p.m. first pitch are valid and don’t require any action. But, if fans can’t attend the game because of the earlier start, they can visit Orioles.com/Weather for options.