Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn
The Brewers outfielder Chourio will miss time due to an injury that initially occurred in the World Baseball Classic. He was struck on the left hand by a pitch while playing for Team Venezuela. Initial X-rays were negative, and he returned to action after sitting out a pair of games. However, lingering pain in the area sent him for a second set of images, and this time a fracture was detected at the base of his third metacarpal using an MRI.
The metacarpals are the long bones that make up the palm of the hand and bridge the area between the wrist and the fingers. The far ends of the metacarpals make up the knuckles when a fist is formed and are susceptible to injury following an axial load, like with a punch, or direct impact. Chourio's injury involved the third metacarpal, the bone just below the middle finger.
While his surprise shift to the injured list is frustrating, there is some good news to be taken out of the situation. To start, the third metacarpal's positioning makes it more stable than other bones. This may have helped the broken bone remain in alignment and, as a result, helped Chourio avoid surgery. Furthermore, healing has already begun and may have contributed to the break being detected. Occasionally when smaller bones break, the fracture site cannot be viewed on the initial X-ray. Not until healing has occurred is the break visible on these types of injuries.
Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn
The Brewers outfielder Chourio will miss time due to an injury that initially occurred in the World Baseball Classic. He was struck on the left hand by a pitch while playing for Team Venezuela. Initial X-rays were negative, and he returned to action after sitting out a pair of games. However, lingering pain in the area sent him for a second set of images, and this time a fracture was detected at the base of his third metacarpal using an MRI.
The metacarpals are the long bones that make up the palm of the hand and bridge the area between the wrist and the fingers. The far ends of the metacarpals make up the knuckles when a fist is formed and are susceptible to injury following an axial load, like with a punch, or direct impact. Chourio's injury involved the third metacarpal, the bone just below the middle finger.
While his surprise shift to the injured list is frustrating, there is some good news to be taken out of the situation. To start, the third metacarpal's positioning makes it more stable than other bones. This may have helped the broken bone remain in alignment and, as a result, helped Chourio avoid surgery. Furthermore, healing has already begun and may have contributed to the break being detected. Occasionally when smaller bones break, the fracture site cannot be viewed on the initial X-ray. Not until healing has occurred is the break visible on these types of injuries. With surgery not necessary and healing already underway, the impact of the injury on Chourio's regular season should be minimized. Look for him to be back before the end of April.
The same cannot be said for Vaughn who is slated to miss four to six weeks after suffering a different type of hand fracture. Vaughn's injury involves the hamate bone, one of the eight carpal bones of the wrist, located at the base of the fifth metacarpal (the pinkie). While the 2026 regular season isn't even a week old, Vaughn is one of multiple players to already sustain this specific injury, joining a list that includes Corbin Carroll, Jackson Holliday and Francisco Lindor.
The hamate has a hook-like projection that makes it vulnerable to injury, particularly when a player is batting. When most athletes grip a bat, the knob of the bat rests on or near the tiny bone. Force generated during awkward contact with a ball or the ground is often diverted through the hamate and can result in a fracture.
Treatment for a hamate fracture often involves a surgery in which the area site is repaired or, more commonly, removed. The injury site heals over time and, if any possible complications are avoided, results in an average time lost of roughly seven weeks. For comparison sake, Carroll and Lindor were back in action about a month after their injuries, and Holliday recently began a rehab assignment for his impending return.
The absences of Chourio and Vaughn have opened the door for the promotion of top prospect Jeferson Quero and allotted extra at-bats for Jake Bauers.
Lodolo started the year on the IL due to a blister on the index finger of his throwing hand. Blisters are common problems for pitchers, as the skin of the fingers is routinely subjected to repetitive chafing from an assortment of possible areas including a neighboring fingernail or the seams of the baseball. The grip required to throw specific pitches can also make a pitcher's finger(s) susceptible to blister formation.
To further complicate the problem, MLB rules outlaw major league pitchers from pitching with athletic tape or bandages on their hands or fingers. As a result, it is hard to pitch through the ailment, and extended rest may be needed to let the blister area callous.
Lodolo's blister issues are recurring and have cost him time in 2024 and 2025. He missed multiple weeks on each occasion, including 22 days last year during the month of August. The latest flareup isn't expected to keep him sidelined quite as long, but potential bad weather could impact a possible rehab start in the week ahead. While his absence may be short-lived, possible recurrence will elevate his inherent injury risk moving forward.
The Guardians Opening Day starter prematurely exited his debut with an injury later described as right shoulder inflammation. Long-time readers know one of my biggest pet peeves regarding injury reporting is when symptoms or injury descriptors are presented as injury diagnoses. For example, inflammation is a symptom that accompanies an injury like tendinitis or bursitis. By describing the issue as inflammation all we know is that something is inflamed, not what structure is involved. In the shoulder this could be a myriad of things. Other frustrating vocabulary includes injuries classified as a hyperextension, soreness or stiffness. These vague terms make it difficult to predict the course of treatment as well as a possible return to play timeline. When this does occur, the best approach is to pay attention to what else the team is saying as well as other roster moves they make. Cleveland has reported Bibee continues to show good strength and described the issue as mild. He was able to complete a bullpen session over the weekend, a good sign that he could avoid the IL. However, given the lack of specifics, I will monitor Bibee's workload and performance over his next few starts to get a better idea of his long-term health.
Check Swings
Jacob deGrom: The Rangers ace had his first start of the season skipped after he woke up with a stiff neck. Texas is calling the decision to push back his season debut as precautionary, and there is growing optimism he will be available against the Orioles. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Ryan Pepiot: The Tampa right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL with right hip inflammation. (Two cases described as inflammation right out the gate!) For Pepiot, the Rays have said he is "in a good spot" and hope he can resume throwing soon. There's a chance he misses the minimal amount of time, but given the ambiguity of the injury I would tread cautiously here.
Kyle Stowers: Despite progress in treatment and rehab, Stowers is not expected back in the Miami lineup until late April or early May. Stowers suffered a Grade I strain of his hamstring just days before the start of the regular season. The injury was his second of the spring, setting a troubling precedent for the immediate future. Hamstring strains are notoriously fickle injuries, and the top precursor for a future hamstring strain is previous strains. As a result, Stowers will be a high-risk player for the foreseeable future when he does eventually return.
Seiya Suzuki: Suzuki started the year on the 10-day IL after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) sprain in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic. Located behind the more infamous ACL, the PCL serves as an axis point for the knee while assisting with stability. The sprain was fortunately diagnosed as mild, and he already is performing agility work, defensive drills and running. Look for him to begin a rehab assignment sometime in the next seven to 10 days before returning to the Chicago lineup.
