Corbin Carroll Set To Miss Significant Time With Hand Injury

Diamondbacks star outfielder Corbin Carroll broke the hamate bone in his right hand and will undergo surgery on Wednesday, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. He suffered the injury during a live batting practice session on Tuesday, and he’s set to miss significant time this spring.

Carroll now joins Francisco Lindor and Jackson Holiday on the list of players who have broken their hamate bone all in the past few days. This is a huge blow to Carroll, who will now miss the World Baseball Classic that begins in three weeks. The typical recovery timeline is six weeks, but it will take even longer to regain all his power.

Carroll To Miss Multiple Weeks

For a Diamondbacks team that’s looking to bounce back after a very disappointing 2025 campaign, losing Corbin Carroll for the start of the season is terrible luck. He’s been one of their best players ever since he was called up to the Majors. This past season, he slashed 259/.343/.541 with 31 home runs, 32 doubles, 17 triples and 32 stolen bases in 38 attempts. For a guy who relies heavily on his power, this injury could have a huge effect on his game.

The main reason why hamate bones are tough to deal with is that it takes a long time to regain full power in the same season. He’s hit 20-plus home runs in the past three seasons, which is impressive, considering his smaller frame. Since he doesn’t hit for a ton of contact, being able to rely on the long ball balances out his game.

Who Will Step Up For Carroll?

The Diamondbacks outfield has a lot of moving parts, so there is no clear option to fill in for Carroll as he misses time. Lourdes Gurriel Jr is not ready yet as he rehabs from a torn ACL he suffered last season. Jordan Lawlar will likely be the next man up, and he’s already been transitioning from the infield to the outfield this offseason. The 23-year-old hasn’t had consistent playing time since being called up to the majors, but Arizona could look to see if it can unlock his potential and give him a starting job.

If Lawlar doesn’t pan out, they can always turn their attention to free agency, where players like Randal Grichuk, Mark Cahna and Starling Marte are all still available. They also all have starting experience in the outfield and wouldn’t be asked to do too much. As we get closer to the start of the season in late March, we’ll have a better idea of Carroll’s timetable for return, which right now profiles for early to mid-April.

Will Arizona Make A Move?

Unless Corbin Carroll needs a ton of time to recover from the broken hamate bone in his right hand, I doubt Arizona makes a move out of sheer panic. Jordan Lawlar will get a lot of reps throughout Spring Training, and if Torey Lovullo doesn’t like what he sees, they’ll pursue an outfielder in free agency or via trade. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have been looking to trade Nick Castellanos all offseason long, and it would take little to nothing to acquire him. He would fill in well while Carroll is out, and could also fill the void for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as he works his way back from injury, and is expected to be back by the All-Star break. The Diamondbacks still have a strong team, but losing Carroll makes the path to a championship a lot harder.