One thing synonymous with “pitchers and catchers report” is the start of media availabilities, which always include a “here’s who is injured” angle. This week has continued the tradition.

Per a quick Google search, the hamate bone is a “wedge-shaped carpal bone in the wrist, located on the small-finger side of the hand” — or, in other words, a tiny little bone on the outside of your hand by the two smallest fingers. The bone itself serves little purpose other than protecting the ligaments in the carpal tunnel. It may seem inconsequential, but breaking this bone has increasingly become common.

A trio of MLB players reported to camp this week with broken hamate bones. Each of them is now in jeopardy of missing Opening Day, depending on how quickly they recover from surgery.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a stress reaction in the bone. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, that Lindor had “been feeling pain in the hand for several days” before the team discovered the reaction during a physical on Tuesday. Surgery normally carries a six-week recovery period, but the team seems confident that Lindor will be ready in time.

Almost simultaneously to Mendoza’s media availability, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias was telling reporters that second baseman Jackson Holliday had broken his hamate bone last Friday while hitting in the cage. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday. The Orioles are not expecting him to be ready for Opening Day.

Roughly an hour later and across the country, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reported that Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone during batting practice on Tuesday. The team had yet to confirm the diagnosis or provide a timetable for Carroll's return. Carroll’s injury does mean he will miss the World Baseball Classic.

In other unexpected injury news: the D-backs lost reliever Andrew Saalfrank (shoulder) for the year, the Blue Jays lost right-hander Bowden Francis (UCL reconstruction surgery) and outfielder Anthony Santander (shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum) for the season; the Tigers lost right-hander Reese Olson (shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum) for the year, and the Braves have lost right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow inflammation) for at least half the season and don’t expect right-hander Joe Jimenez (recurring knee issues, he missed all of 2025) back at all.

Perhaps the most disappointing injury news: Rangers shortstop prospect Sebastian Wolcott will likely miss the entire season after elbow surgery. Wolcott’s time in the Arizona Fall League was cut short due to inflammation, but surgery wasn’t expected at the time. It seems his physical upon reporting to camp suggested otherwise. There was no guarantee that Wolcott was going to spend significant time with the Rangers this year (he doesn’t turn 20 until mid-March, though he did receive 552 PA in Double-A last year), but this setback likely rules out any debut until next season.

Meanwhile, Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler is in camp as he finishes rehabbing from thoracic outlet surgery. The veteran arm will likely miss the start of the season, but appears on track in his recovery. He did tell members of the media that he kept the rib that was removed during the September procedure; it is home in his closet.

Al Leiter pitched for Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic (and was shelled). Jack Leiter was hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps in this year’s tournament, but was unable to get permission to do so over an insurance issue.

The Yankees briefly considered a trade for Nick Castellanos before (smartly) being “talked out” of it.

An NBA All-Star purchased a minority stake in the Texas Rangers.

José Contreras spent 11 seasons in the big leagues after defecting from Cuba, winning 78 games while posting a 4.57 ERA (100 ERA+) over 1173.0 IP. He was an All-Star and won the World Series in 2005 with the White Sox. Joseph Contreras, his 17-year-old son, has developed into one of the top high school pitching prospects in Georgia. The Vanderbilt commit was named to Team Brazil’s roster for the World Baseball Classic (his mother is Brazilian) and will be the youngest player in the tournament.