Corbin Carroll To Undergo Surgery For Hamate Fracture
BySteve Adams | at
Diamondbacks starCorbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone in his right hand yesterday during batting practice, Steve Gilbert of MLB.comreports. He’s slated to undergo surgery today,per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. That’ll sideline Carroll for the majority of camp and seems likely to land him on the injured list to begin the 2026 season.
It’s an awful note on which to start camp for the D-backs and their fans. Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, is already a two-time All-Star and finished sixth in National League MVP voting last season after hitting .259/.343/.541 with 31 home runs, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 32 stolen bases (in 38 tries), a 10.4% walk rate and a 23.8% strikeout rate in 642 trips to the plate. No player in baseball provided more baserunning value than Carroll in 2025, per FanGraphs’ BsR metric, and he was 39% better than average at the plate by measure of wRC+.
The Diamondbacks haven’t provided a formal timetable for Carroll’s recovery and presumably won’t do so until after his surgery. It’s a relatively common injury though — as bothJackson Holliday andFrancisco Lindor can attest — and typically shelves hitters for anywhere from four to eight weeks. Hamate injuries (and hand injuries in general) have a tendency to linger and impact a hitter’s power output, but every injury situation is different. Arizona should provide more details in the days ahead.
With Carroll likely IL-bound, an already uncertain D-backs outfield mix now looks even murkier. Arizona tradedJake McCarthy to the Rockies on the heels of a couple disappointing seasons earlier in the winter.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will open the season on the injured list as he continues rehabbing last season’s torn ACL. Top prospectJordan Lawlar was already moving from the infield to the outfield this season but now seems certain to begin the season there. Center fielderAlek Thomas is a fine defender, but he’s four seasons into his MLB career now and his bat has yet to catch up to his former top prospect status. Infielder/outfielderBlaze Alexander was traded to the Orioles just last week.
Suffice it to say, outfield options on Arizona’s roster are thin, at best. Lawlar and Thomas are likely locked into starting roles by default. First baseman/designated hitterPavin Smith has some experience in the outfield corners but has graded as a poor defender. The recent signing ofCarlos Santana was originally intended to give the lefty-swinging Smith a strong platoon partner at first base, but Santana could play first base with Smith temporarily patrolling an outfield corner.
OutfielderJorge Barrosa is on the 40-man roster and out of minor league options, but he’s a .148/.170/.239 hitter in 95 big league plate appearances with a league-average track record at the Triple-A level. Infielder/outfielderTim Tawa belted 31 Triple-A homers in 2024 but hit just .201/.274/.347 in 205 MLB plate appearances this past season; he’s spent a lot more time in the infield during his pro career but does have 1519 innings of outfield experience.
If the D-backs feel particularly aggressive, they could fast-trackRyan Waldschmidt, the No. 31 overall pick in 2024, to the big leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to even suit up in Triple-A but torched opposing pitchers in both High-A and Double-A last season. In a combined 601 plate appearances (split evenly between the two levels), the University of Kentucky product slashed .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers, 27 doubles, four triples, 29 steals (39 attempts), a 16% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate. Baseball America currently ranks Waldschmidt as the game’s No. 48 overall prospect.
It’s also possible, of course, that the D-backs look to bring in some outfield help from outside the organization. As stated, it was already a relatively thin mix — at least in terms of established options — so even scooping up a veteran on a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training might’ve been prudent.Mike Tauchman,Mark Canha and old friendRandal Grichuk are among the more notable unsigned names still lingering on the market. Spring training naturally brings up opportunities to scoop up other veterans as they opt out of minor league deals and/or less-experienced players who find themselves designated for assignment when other clubs make final additions. The D-backs could monitor both markets as they look to bring in some depth in light of Carroll’s injury.
102 Comments
Ban injuries..
Giants – Seriously, what’s going on?
Carroll
Holliday
Lindor
All with hamate injuries? Weird.
Oprah’s giving them out this month.
nice…except she is too busy trying to figure out how to help her buddy harvey weinstein.
We have a new injury of the year! No more Lat strain it’s a Hammate fest!
Illuminati lol
Pay attention kids,
If you project as a contact hitter early on,
Just go ahead and have these pesky bones removed in high school.
Its the Hamate Mandate
Reads like little contact guys who had an extra month off have come into spring a bit too hot. The moment you take away the stimuli is the moment the body starts to drop what it has built to protect against the stimuli. Ease into it, boys. Give the rig a chance to remember and reapply !
I’m surprised every dodger starter doesn’t have a Hamate injury!
I have said before they should remove the hamate bones early in guys careers. Better to miss a couple months in camp than during an important series to get into the playoffs. All the bone does is break has no use.
A tad excessive. How about we leave their bodies whole and manage the workload better. Baseball is important but taking out bones is a bit over the top.
fopp – We live in a time where women remove ribs to look thinner ….
We do. Not on my watch.
My daughters are keeping their ribs !
We also live in a time where 34yo ex mlb players leave three kids fatherless because they had went to have their superfluous appendix removed !!
Foppert
The bone does exactly nothing just a bone for some reason we evolved past what it was used for if it was ever used. It is not a dangerous operation and recover faster. Might be excessive but if it takes away a chance for injury why not?
Going under is dangerous. For some more so. I am not sure how many surgeries I have had. It is over 12 though. Some do better than others. I seem to recover just fine. Not even sure they have to be put under. Just use a good painkiller in the area.
Dont… look… at…. me…
New AI information allowing pitchers to know just the places to throw the baseball to instigate injury
Contagious, hope it’s not air borne.
The hamate’s “hook” sits right where hitters grip the bat, making it vulnerable to repetitive stress. The main culprits:
**Checked swings and mishits** are the real killer. Every aborted swing or jam shot sends force straight into the hamate. Do that hundreds of times and microfractures develop.
**Modern pitching** plays a role too. Higher velocity and elite breaking balls mean hitters are late more often—more checked swings, more stress on hands.
**Swing mechanics** have evolved. Launch angle swings with aggressive wrist action create additional torque on that hook of bone.
**Maple bats** might be a factor. Denser than ash, maple transfers more vibration to hands on mishits.
Bottom line: repetitive stress made worse by today’s game.
Not really, common in baseball, HBP and for the hard swingers can break it just swinging. And there is the occasional wall punch…but they’re common.
Holy sucks. I guess he’s also not playing for the WBC. What do happens? Does USA get a new player in replacement?
I’m squeezing into my baseball oats as we speak.
Roman Anthony?
NO don’t want Anthony anywhere near Non-Redsox injuries‼️
Pretty sure there’s reserves
Isn’t this the 3rd or 4th star to have hamate surgery in the last 2 weeks? Crazy.
Here comes lawlar to the of
Hamate fighters play in JAPAN
There are no Americans anymore to fight the Hamate. Sad.
Hamate injury epidemic.
or just popular
What the hell? Can we at least name this surgery after a baseball player so we know what the hell everyone’s talking about? Tommy John Surgery–easily understandable.
I vote this surgery be called Brad Hand Surgery, Joel Handrahan (intentionally misspelled) Surgery, or Jim Palmer Surgery.
Jim Palmer surgery is what I call my “alone time”.
That’s Richard Palmer Surgery. Really more of a therapy unless you are doing it wrong.
or doing it very right.
Funny!😄
Ricky Bones surgery.
First time I remember someone breaking their hamate was Griffey Jr.
First I can remember is Mike Pagliarilo, who was ever after a singles hitter
I did it in high school still got a hit with the cast On. But it was from punching a house, After somebody slammed my fingers on the other hand in a car door upon release, so not really a baseball issue 🤣
Since Tommy John surgery involves removing damaged tissue, maybe a doctor can invent a hamate surgery that removes bone. It should be named after Mordicai “Three Finger” Brown.
What is up with all the hamate surgeries!?
Just spitballing – better detection and data. Guys used to get a cortisone shots hoping the bone heals itself while playing through the injury. Now we know they’re better off getting surgery.
Yankees, we had just a bunch of true and blue dirtbag big dogs out there.
You could also chalk it up to the fact the salaries were much lower in comparison to the national average. Adjusted to inflation, I believe the players, on average, made like 20x more than the average US salary in 1980. Now it’s about 80x more.
Being treated more as a fragile, high-end investment to the suits and less of a need to push beyond what is necessary with higher guarantees could factor on top of your analysis.
Also, to get more scientific with it, I think we have more sissies out there!
I’ll be a sissy if I it means I can prolong my pro sports career.
Yankees don’t have dirt dogs or beards…seek The Redsox for those 2 types 🤣💯
this mfer hamate
What the heck?! Ooof that’s a bad one.
Sucks. He’s a lot of fun to watch and would’ve been a good addition to Team USA.
Maybe teams should look for guys who don’t have hamate bones.
That’s some real moneyball thinking
Like R. A. Dickey with his elbow tendon?
And ligaments in their elbows
Unfortunate. He’s fun to watch.
Maybe Carroll and Hollidah can share the same harambe
RULE #1 = Don’t swing at pitches that are going to hit you.
RULE #2 = Get out of the way of pitches that are going to hit you.
RULE #3 = Keep your hands away from pitches on the inside corner.
Do that but hamate injuries can be caused by repetitive tasks like swinging a bat over a long time and nothing else.
Exactly‼️ but some fans never played…so, sigh, we deal with it lol
except hamate injuries come from swinging the bat, not from getting hit
And they don’t stop coming and they don’t stop coming and…
Good thing we traded Alexander and McCarthy, eh? The OF group of Barrosa, Lawlar, Tawa, Thomas, and whoever else (the only current NRIs are Robinson, Troy, Vukovich, and Waldschmidt) is VERY short on expected production.
At least they’ll have a longer leash, I guess…
@Heat. Feels to me like Waldschmidt just made Opening Day. Carroll won’t be out too deep into the year ideally, so if he falters, they keep rookie status in tact.
Hamates take a while to come back from, and usually result in lower power output post surgery..at least for a season or so..
4-8 week recovery from the injury. Power will take a lot longer. Spring training starting early for the WBC helps all these teams minimize the time the stars will be off the field at least.
Hey Arizona, the Red Sox will trade you Yoshida for a six pack of Corona Extra and a Taco Bell gift card as long as you pick up 75% of his salary.
6 pack of Corona Extra? At least make it a good beer. Dos Equis Lager or Modelo with a line. Make it with their while.
My thoughts exactly that’s so funny and awesome what greed can lead to
How do 3 players have the same exact fractured bone in their hand? First Francisco Lindor, then Jackson Holliday and now Corbin Carroll.
It’s the Dodgers’ fault.
By hitting a hardball with a hard bat for a living. The more contact, the bigger chance. Pablo Sandoval broke both in his early career, and he had fat hands..
That’s true but they all broke it within a week of each other. That doesn’t happen a whole lot.
Baseball activity ramping up this time of year, but yes kinda weird this week.
Thumb wrestling gone wild. It happens.
Fractured hamate bones are ruining baseball.
Being hit, Swinging a bat, Or punching something.
This apparently is Bad Bunny’s fault. Carroll got carried away during the halftime show and slapped a few too many tweerkin booties.
That’s because he didn’t say “high five slap a$$” after each time. Karma is real.
Maybe kid Rock will step in and win the day. But it will probably be around the Allstar break or midterms, whichever
“kid Rock”, you’re funny.
This injury is the least worrisome of any broken bones BTW. They simply remove the hamate bone so recovery is fast and there are no residual affects. Pablo Sandoval broke both hands and was out about 5 weeks. If that guy can recover in 5 weeks I’m pretty sure Carroll will be back end of March at the latest.
Seriously what’s with all the Hamate Injuries?
Whole Milk lost popularity.
So, it’s the milk fat and not the calcium that’s the issue. Interesting…
And technically, Whole milk per my keto advisor is the healthiest of all milk due to the sweetners in 2% and skim. Just goes to show you never follow liberals advice on anything.
“keto advisor”, you’re funny.
It’s do or die for Lawlar now.
Maybe the Dbacks could trade two years of Eduardo Hernandez’s bad contract for Nick Castellanos’ bad contract, which has one year remaining? Then they might be able to re-sign Gallen, perhaps?
Phillies need another starter after losing FA Suarez to Boston and Wheeler likely to miss the start of the season. Phils seem likely to eat a large chunk of Castellanos’ contract since they’ve already signed his replacement for RF.
Its amazing how a few weeks missed on the IL by one player is going to tank a whole season. It shouldn’t even require going outside the organization for a temp replacement.
Thanks for Ranger…Sox are Finally reloaded…but the injuries the last half decade have been insane in beantown
I blame torpedo bats
Dunno if he’s one of the guys that grip the bat wrong, but they should beware. I’m taking about the guys that have the knob in their palm. It’s a bad technique.
Grip has nothing to do with it
I like the idea of signing Tauchman. He would be a good player in the outfield mix over the course of the whole year, even after Lourdes comes back.
Terrible. I had him leading the D-Backs to a world series championship… I guess they’ll now be last place.
I’ve never heard of MLB players having this injury up until a year or two ago. Did they call it something else back in the day, or is there something different about the training or equipment that’s causing it? Maybe guys are chasing exit velocity like pitchers are chasing velo?
Hamate injury is caused by constant force of vibrations during hitting by knob of the bat. One of the reasons this injury is more prevalent in today’s game is how today’s players practice. Swing, Swing, Swing and more swings in the cage versus high speed pitching machines. This form of practice has lead to a rash of hamate (and the dreaded) Oblique injuries. When I coached, during spring training, we worried just as much about injuries as we did about getting players ready.
Kristian Robinson breakout incoming.
The WBC insurance circuit is grateful it occurred at DBacks camp. The GM should’ve turned the injures slider to OFF. This is the year of the hamate, who’s next?
Big week for hamate news
The Diamondbacks just simply cannot catch a break with the injuries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team get this decimated by injuries the way they have over the past calendar year.
There goes the power? It used be the death nail to your power. I’m sure it’s a little better now. I don’t track such things anymore. It would be interesting to track results based on Injuries.
Side note– Punt the season and trade Marte now?
Got too greedy in the Martel trade for an Outfielder DURAN/ABREU/ANTHONY/RAFAELA and Boston’s OF depth stays home! Whooopsie daisy…🤣
Oh ya wanna trade now⁉️ Nah‼️ We got Caleb Durban already & IKF, and a few others. Maybe a 1 for 1 and a low level prospect lol
See ya‼️👍
Who was lamenting not settling for Boston’s offer?
Bro’s out here swinging at ghosts lol
Leave a ReplyCancel reply
Please login to leave a reply.
Log inRegister