MLB Hamate Chaos: Francisco Lindor, Corbin Carroll, Jackson Holliday All Need Surgery

MLB fans had to throw on a stethoscope and fire up the ChatGPT search bar on Wednesday to learn about the "hamate bone" after a bizarre run of injuries to some of the league’s biggest names.

Well… mostly big names. And Jackson Holliday.

Holliday, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, and Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll were all revealed to be dealing with hamate bone injuries — and all three are scheduled for surgery, leaving major question marks for Opening Day.

"I think I just broke my hand," Carroll told manager Torey Lovullo during live batting practice. The injury occurred on Carroll’s non-throwing (right) hand.

"You're kidding, right?" Lovullo responded.

Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

As a result, Carroll will miss the WBC, where he was slated to be a centerpiece for Team USA after a monster 2025 campaign that saw him join the 30/30 club with 31 homers and 32 steals.

Then there's Lindor, who just turned in his second career 30/30 season and anchored the Mets with a 6.3 fWAR year — one of the best marks among NL shortstops. 

His status for Opening Day is in serious question, though team brass remain optimistic he can beat the clock by March 26.

"Knowing Lindor," manager Carlos Mendoza said, "I'm not going to bet against him."

Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

Holliday, meanwhile, is the odd man out. 

The former No. 1 overall prospect suffered a right hamate injury in his throwing hand, and while he showed durability in 2025 by starting 161 games for Baltimore, he's still chasing that elite breakout. Now, he's expected to miss the start of the year.

Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

So, what is this "Hamate Pandemic" that took MLB by storm?

Breaking It Down

The hamate is a small, hook-shaped bone in the wrist that sits right where the knob of a baseball bat meets the palm. 

When a player checks a swing or absorbs a high-velocity vibration, that bony hook can snap like a twig. The road back is typically a six-week battle against the calendar. 

It starts with a "quiet phase" of immobilization to let the incision heal. Then comes a mid-rehab "wake-up" period, when players rebuild their grip strength from scratch. By the final stretch, they’re cleared for live BP — but that doesn’t mean they’re fully back.

Because the hamate anchors the muscles responsible for grip and bat control, power is often the last thing to return. Even 30-homer threats like Lindor and Carroll can need months to regain their home run pop.

History backs that up. 

Giancarlo Stanton fractured his hamate in 2015 and, despite returning that season, saw his power numbers dip noticeably upon his return. 

More recently, Bryce Harper underwent hamate surgery in 2022 and admitted it took time for his strength to fully return. The surgery fixes the bone. It doesn’t restore torque instantly.

The timing couldn’t be worse for three franchises with massive 2026 expectations:

Diamondbacks: Losing Carroll’s elite bat speed at the top of the order is a gut punch for a club with serious NL West ambitions. Carroll is coming off a historic 2025 in which he became the first player in franchise history to join the 30/30 club.

Mets: Lindor is the heartbeat of a lineup that just saw Pete Alonso defect to Baltimore in free agency. Without "Mr. Smile" at short, the Mets’ offense has a crater-sized hole at the top — and even if he makes Opening Day, the bigger question is how quickly the power follows.

Orioles: For Holliday, it’s another delay in his quest to join the league’s elite. While he appeared in 161 games last season and showed flashes of his No. 1 prospect pedigree, this injury stalls his momentum just as he was expected to take the leap.

The hook has claimed its victims, and surgery is on the way. When they return, the real story won’t be who’s back in the lineup first — it’ll be who gets their power back first.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela