Team USA and Diamondbacks receive massive setback with Carroll

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Team USA and Diamondbacks receive massive setback with Corbin Carroll

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 12:11 PM ET

Team USA and the Arizona Diamondbacks received a massive blow before the start of pool play and spring training with the news of outfielder Corbin Carroll injuring his hamate bone in his right hand.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Carroll, who was on Team USA’s roster, will miss the World Baseball Classic and potentially not be able to start for the Diamondbacks on Opening Day. Carroll is now the third position player to suffer a hamate bone injury, as Passan also reports that Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor have the injury.

Carroll’s absence from the World Baseball Classic will hurt Team USA, as he was potentially going to be a starting outfielder for it. With Carroll sidelined, Team USA now has three outfielders on its roster: Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Carroll had somewhat of a bounce-back season in 2025, hitting .259 with an OPS of .883, and led Major League Baseball in triples (17).

For those unfamiliar, the hamate bone — which could cause Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor and Jackson Holliday to miss Opening Day — is a small, hook-shaped bone on the palm, just underneath the pinky, that is particularly susceptible to breaking. While the recovery is typically…
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 11, 2026

Corbin Carroll missing time means both Diamondbacks and Team USA need another outfielder

With Carroll likely to miss Opening Day, the Diamondbacks will need to find another outfielder on the free-agent market or through trade to fill in until Carroll can return. Jorge Barrosa (.141 average) is the Diamondbacks' fourth outfielder and will likely slide into Carroll’s role in the meantime, but adding another bat would also help.

As for Team USA, it is more in the hole, as it'll need to scramble to find a fourth outfielder to replace Carroll. A possible replacement, given Carroll was likely going to play left field, is Washington Nationals All-Star outfielder James Wood (.256 average, .825 OPS). Wood offers the same speed (just a little slower) as Carroll, but will add more pop to Team USA’s lineup, as he mashed a career-high 31 home runs last season.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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