Teams are gearing up for spring training, and players are making their way to the respective locations. The Arizona Diamondbacks are a team that expects to compete in 2026. They traded for Nolan Arenado, held on to Ketel Marte, and made a couple of other small, but helpful, moves. However, they will have to begin the season without their All-Star outfielder, Corbin Carroll.
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Carroll broke his hamate bone in batting practice and will undergo surgery. This will cause him to miss the World Baseball Classic and possibly the beginning of the season.
Corbin Carroll’s Injury Hurts More Than Just The Diamondbacks
GettyCorbin Carroll will miss the World Baseball Classic.
As mentioned, Corbin Carroll will miss the World Baseball Classic. He was slated to be a starter on Team USA. The stars and stripes fully expect to be back in the gold medal game, but it will be a lot tougher to do without Carroll in the lineup.
Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa will have to find a replacement for Carroll quickly. It should not be hard, as there are plenty of players willing to represent their home country at the World Baseball Classic. However, insurance issues and the possibility of an injury do play a part.
Whoever DeRosa decides to add to the team will have big shoes to fill. And that player will most likely not be as good as Carroll is.
Who Replaces Carroll on the Diamondbacks?
GettyJorge Barrosa is, presumably, the next man up.
Last season, Carroll slashed .259/.343/.541 with 31 home runs, 84 RBI, 32 stolen bases, and 107 runs scored. He earned a Silver Slugger award for his performance at the plate and ended up finishing sixth in the MVP voting.
Arizona is not sure if Carroll will be ready for opening day, but the usual recovery for this injury is 4-6 weeks. However, returning to superstar form may take a lot longer than that. For that reason, the chances Carroll misses opening day seem to be very high.
The Diamondbacks have just four outfielders on their 40-man roster at the moment. Jorge Barrosa was expected to be a platoon outfielder. However, he could take on a larger role now that Carroll is injured.
Barrosa played just 33 games last year and finished with an OPS under .400. He has not hit well at the big league level, so he needs to show the Diamondbacks that he has taken a step forward during spring training.
Should Barrosa continue to struggle against big league pitching, Arizona will have to get creative with their outfield options.
What is the Hamate Bone?
The hamate is a small, hook-shaped bone located just under the pinky. Breaking this bone is not uncommon for baseball players. Repeatedly swinging with that amount of force puts a lot of stress on the small bone.
As mentioned, the recovery timeline for this type of injury ranges from four to six weeks. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, the average time it took players to return is 45 days. That is just over six weeks.
If Carroll is out for six weeks, that would put his return right around opening day. But it would make sense if Arizona decides to hold him out for a little bit longer to ensure he can regain his full strength before playing again.
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