Nothing about Jackson Holliday‘s career with the Baltimore Orioles has been as expected, and it’s over for now, with MLB’s top prospect headed back to the Triple-A, optioned after 10 games.
The team announced the move on it’s Twitter account on April 26.
Fans were surprised to see him designated so quickly, especially with Baltimore boasting a 7-3 record in the games he’s played.
Ryan McKenna will join the Orioles and replace MLB’s top prospect in the rotation, after appearing in 12 games for their Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides this season.
Fans quickly shifted focus on the player incoming to replace Holliday, an infamously disfavored player among the fanbase.
“Replacing Jackson Holliday with Ryan McKenna is the nastiest thing Mike Elias has ever done,” Locked On Orioles tweeted on April 26.
McKenna has been with Baltimore off and on since 2015, longer than any other player.
“The Orioles have been really good to me,” McKenna told Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun, after returning to the majors.
The fans haven’t been so kind.
Fans React to McKenna’s Return
Devin (@DevinDae1 on Twitter) likened McKenna to cockroaches and twinkies.
“Things that can survive nuclear war: Cockroaches, Twinkies, Ryan McKenna,” he tweeted on April 26.
Jose M (@_HoeZay) wrote that the arrival of McKenna is more upsetting than Holliday’s departure.
“Everyone is upset about Holliday,” he tweeted. “I’m more upset about the Ryan McKenna decision.”
Kam Brice (@kambrice1tv) doesn’t mind that Holliday was optioned. But even he is confused over McKenna being the replacement.
“Honestly , I don’t mind the O’s sending Holliday back down he needs to regroup and work on things,” Brice tweeted. “However, I find it confusing that Ryan McKenna is being sent back up when Stowers and Norby have been ready for the majors”
Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) called the move “salt in the wound.”
“Jackson Holliday being optioned hurts,” Clark tweeted. “Ryan McKenna being called-up as the corresponding move just rubs salt into the wound.”
And in a second tweet, Locked On Orioles suggested this could be the beginning of their villain origin story.
“If Ryan McKenna starts a game at 2B for the Baltimore Orioles I will become the joker,” they wrote.
McKenna didn’t help his case in his first game back with Baltimore, missing a crucial catch to save the game.
McKenna Misses Crucial Catch Vs. A’s
In their first game without Jackson Holliday, Craig Kimbrel blew his second save of the season. He allowed all five batters he faced in the ninth inning to reach bases.
But Ryan McKenna should shoulder most of the credit for the loss. He missed a catch in right field that helped the Oakland Athletics to tie the game in the top of the ninth.
Kimbrel took full responsibility postgame, after putting the two previous batters on base that put Oakland in scoring position.
“Three walks in an inning, that’s going to mean your command’s off,” Kimbrel told Roch Kubatko on April 26. “Obviously, after such a well-pitched game from the whole team it’s not a very pretty inning. I expect better out of myself. Just tonight wasn’t my night.”
It wasn’t Ryan McKenna’s night either. And it hasn’t been Jackson Holliday’s night in some time. But the Baltimore Orioles will look to recalibrate with some reinforcements on the way.
Austin Hays, John Means, and Kyle Bradish are all en route back to the team. They’ll receive warmer welcomes than Holliday’s replacement.
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