CLEVELAND — It’s worth remembering where Jackson Holliday was a year ago today.

In the life of even the most highly touted prospects, there are growing pains. At this time last season, Holliday was in Norfolk, playing for the Triple-A affiliate, waiting for a second chance in the majors after his first resulted in a demotion after only 10 games.

Now look at Holliday. He is a fixture at the top of Baltimore’s batting order, and while he served as the designated hitter in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss against the Cleveland Guardians, he has made second base his near-everyday home.

The first-pitch ambush of a slider from right-hander Slade Cecconi turned into Holliday’s team-leading 14th home run. Among qualified American League second basemen, Holliday ranks third in homers. His .735 on-base-plus-slugging percentage ranks fourth.

Where Holliday was a year ago is worth remembering because the Orioles will rely on more prospects to continue growing, even if their early showcases leave something to be desired.

Right-hander Brandon Young, optioned Wednesday to make room for the return of right-hander Zach Eflin, is only seven starts into his MLB career. Infielder Coby Mayo, who was relegated to the bench again despite reaching base four times Tuesday, is not a finished product on offense or defense.

Even shortstop Gunnar Henderson, outfielder Colton Cowser and infielder Jordan Westburg — part of the young core Baltimore has bred — could conceivably take steps toward consistent production.

When framed in that light, the lowlights of the 2025 season for some of these characters could become worthwhile reminiscing in 2026 — another look how far he’s come moment, just as Holliday is experiencing.

“You just think about everything the kid went through,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Super proud of him and the journey he’s kind of on this year, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg right now. This kid is getting better by the day.”

The Orioles (44-56) lost. They’ve done that plenty lately. They’ve dropped seven of their last eight games and are limping toward the trade deadline. And the troubling news that right-hander Félix Bautista was unexpectedly unavailable Wednesday didn’t soften the blow (more on Bautista lower).

But Holliday’s home run, which momentarily tied the game before right-hander Colin Selby allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth, is noteworthy not just for its distance but because of what pitch it came against.

Last year, Holliday couldn’t figure out sliders. He hit .043 against them.

But he has improved this season, and especially so since June 10. Entering Wednesday, since June 10, Holliday’s OPS against sliders was 1.033 — before the homer, which will elevate that further. One of the largest hurdles for hitters adapting to the big leagues is hitting off-speed pitches. They are much sharper, much more deceptive, than the ones they see in the minors.

Holliday, however, has improved across the board against each pitch type.

“In the big leagues, they have better pitches and throw to better locations,” Holliday said. “For me, it’s trying to get it in good spots and hitting it through that pull-side gap. ... It’s something I practice a lot and have been working on all year, so it’s nice to see the slugging and the results come from it.”

Apart from Holliday’s homer, the Orioles scored a run off Cecconi in the third after Westburg’s leadoff double. Ryan O’Hearn plated him with a sacrifice fly. That gave Eflin a lead.

The showing from Eflin was promising, even if it included a blip in terms of command during the fourth inning. He cruised without allowing a baserunner in the first three innings. Then Steven Kwan worked a leadoff walk in the fourth, and Eflin — pitching after returning from the injured list earlier Wednesday from a lower back strain — could only marvel at the way José Ramírez dug out his two-strike pitch.

Eflin located his 0-2 curveball well, low and outside. Ramírez still pulled it for a double.

“He’s an incredible hitter,” Eflin said. “That’s one of those I wish I had thrown in the dirt instead of just below the zone. He’s one of those guys, he’s just so good in the zone, out of the zone. Like you said, you kind of tip your cap on that one.”

And, with two runners in scoring position, Kyle Manzardo lifted a two-run single into left field.

The fastball to Manzardo, elevated and over the middle, is one pitch Eflin would want back. Beyond that, though, his first outing since June 28 went well. He completed five innings with two hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

“I’m just super happy to be back and be out there competing with the guys again,” Eflin said. “I was kind of able to jump back into it. I had two rehab appearances this time. Typically, it’s either zero or one, so I had some conditioning before I came back.”

Eflin should receive one more start prior to the July 31 trade deadline, and another solid showing could boost his appeal to contending teams. The Orioles acquired him last year ahead of the deadline, so he understands the uncertainty this time of year brings. But Eflin said the “only thing I’m worried about” is his start every fifth day.

Until the calendar flips to August, the performances of potential trade pieces will be a major focus in these games. Once August strikes, learning opportunities may take center stage. Holliday is an example of how a player’s first stint in the majors doesn’t dissolve his future.

Bautista ‘didn’t feel right’

The Orioles used Selby in the eighth inning because Bautista sent a message to the dugout during the seventh inning that he would be unavailable during the game.

It came as a surprise to Mansolino, because he said Bautista threw like normal before the game. “Everything was normal,” Mansolino said. “Definitely not expected.”

Mansolino said Bautista told the coaching staff that “something didn’t feel right, so we shut him down. ... We’ll have more information by tomorrow.” The interim manager didn’t offer clarity on what, exactly, didn’t feel right when asked two follow-up questions on Bautista’s condition.

Bautista’s last outing was a grind. He threw a season-high 34 pitches Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. His sinker velocity, which averaged 97.2 mph this year (his first back from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery), was an average of 95.8 mph, and his slowest came out at 94.1 mph.

At the time, Mansolino said that was emblematic of a pitcher who hadn’t thrown in 10 days. The update Wednesday draws additional concern, although Mansolino said Bautista didn’t exhibit issues Monday or Tuesday.

This article has been updated.