The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Spring Training got off to a dreadful start when their star right fielder, Corbin Carroll, broke the hamate bone in his right hand during live batting practice on February 11. Coming off of an underwhelming 80-82 season in 2025, Carroll’s elite production is paramount to the Diamondbacks’ potential for contention this season, and hamate bones typically take 4-8 weeks of recovery before players can return to the field. In an unexpected development, however, manager Torey Lovullo suggested that Carroll could play again as soon as this week.
After Carroll withdrew from the WBC immediately following his injury, there was an understandable skepticism about whether he’d be healthy in time for Opening Day or not. But today Lovullo provided a new update on Carroll, saying that he could “debut in a Cactus League game at some point this week” (h/t Nick Piecoro, Arizona Republic).
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This is incredibly encouraging news for the Diamondbacks, who depend on Carroll’s elite abilities in order to contend. The 25-year-old Seattle native has been one of the very best players in baseball since his 32-game debut in 2022, quietly putting up the third-most fWAR among all outfielders since 2023 after Aaron Judge and Juan Soto (h/t Fangraphs).
On top of that, 2025 was Carroll’s best season yet. He missed 19 games on account of a small fracture in his left wrist in June but still managed to slug 31 home runs, swipe 32 stolen bases and post career bests in OPS (.883) and fWAR (6.5), earning an All-Star selection, a Silver Slugger award, and a sixth-place finish in National League MVP voting.
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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7)© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
(© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
If Carroll is trending positively enough to appear in a Spring Training game, it can be taken as a near certainty that he will be in the Opening Day lineup for the Diamondbacks come March 26.
One common side effect position players report while recovering from broken hamate bones is that it takes quite some time for their power to come all the way back, so there is a chance that Carroll’s slugging and power numbers take some time to return to his career norms as he gets back to full strength. But in the event that his power does take a temporary hit, there are few players better equipped to lean on their contact and speed than the lightning-fast Carroll.
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If there are any unexpected setbacks in Carroll’s recovery, however, outfielder Tim Tawa is likely to replace the bulk of Carroll’s time in the event that he has to begin the year on the IL.
Related: Cubs Lose Two Players to Injury Before Opening Day
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.