Injuries happen every spring. It’s part of the game -- as players ramp up, they get hurt, and teams inevitably head into Opening Day with some key players on the shelf.
But every injury also presents an opportunity.
This spring's injury wave has put the spotlight on the players below. From top prospects getting extended looks to forgotten veterans taking on expanded roles to known commodities becoming even more crucial, here are 10 players who need to come through for their teams in the wake of notable injuries.
Mick Abel, SP, Twins
After making a number of subtractions prior to the 2025 Trade Deadline, the Twins lost one of their best remaining players when pitcher Pablo López underwent Tommy John surgery in February. López’s injury was another bummer for the fan base, but Abel could provide a silver lining if he excels as a replacement for the veteran righty.
One of the top prospects the club acquired in its myriad of deals last summer, Abel is set to open 2026 in the Twins’ rotation. The 24-year-old recorded a 6.23 ERA between Philadelphia and Minnesota in 2025, but he posted strong numbers in Triple-A and looked good this spring while eclipsing 98 mph on the radar gun.
Bryan Abreu, RP, Astros
One of the top setup men in baseball with a 2.30 ERA and a 12.7 K/9 over the past four seasons, Abreu was already set to play a pivotal role for the Astros in 2026. But he’s become even more important due to closer Josh Hader’s lingering injury issues. After missing the final two months of 2025 with a left shoulder capsule strain, Hader was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis in early February and opened camp behind schedule. As a result, he’ll begin the season on the injured list, making Abreu the Astros’ closer for the time being.
Walker Buehler, SP, Padres
After losing Yu Darvish (elbow surgery) and Dylan Cease (free agency), the Padres’ starting staff entered Spring Training with a lot of uncertainty behind Nick Pivetta and Michael King. Making matters worse, Joe Musgrove’s return from Tommy John surgery hit a snag when he didn’t recover as well as expected following an exhibition start in early March. He’ll begin the year on the IL.
Musgrove's absence has thrust Buehler into a critical role for a Padres team that is also relying on Randy Vásquez (3.84 ERA, 4.85 FIP in 2025) and has yet to fill its final rotation spot. A former ace for the Dodgers, Buehler is still trying to get his career back on track after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. While no one is expecting Buehler to regain the form he showed from 2018-21 (2.82 ERA), the Padres need him to improve upon ’24-25 (5.10 ERA).
Chase Burns, SP, Reds
The Reds rode one of baseball's best rotations to the playoffs last year, making their first full-season postseason appearance since 2013 (excluding ’20). But their chances of returning to October took a hit earlier this month when flamethrower Hunter Greene underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow; he’ll be out until July.
Burns, who has big stuff in his own right, could help mitigate the loss of Greene if he lives up to the potential he showed as a rookie last season. The 2024 No. 2 overall Draft pick finished with a 4.57 ERA over 43 1/3 innings, but his peripherals -- including a 13.9 K/9 and 2.65 FIP -- were much more impressive.
Mauricio Dubón, SS, Braves
The Braves have had MLB’s worst hitting shortstops over the past two years (64 wRC+), so it was no surprise to see the club address the position with one of the best players available in that market, Ha-Seong Kim. The veteran is known more for his defense, but he was an above-average hitter for the Padres from 2022-24 (106 wRC+) before undergoing left shoulder surgery and playing just 48 games between the Rays and Braves in ’25, over which he slashed .234/.304/.345 (82 wRC+). Atlanta guaranteed Kim $20 million on a one-year deal, betting that he'd return to form after a healthy offseason.
However, Kim had to undergo surgery in January to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger after injuring it when he slipped on a sheet of ice in his native Korea. Dubón, acquired from the Astros in December for Nick Allen, is expected to handle regular shortstop duties until Kim returns. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner isn’t a great hitter by any means (lifetime 83 wRC+), but he could still be an upgrade over Allen and his 53 wRC+ in 2025.
Grant Holmes, SP, Braves
Kim wasn't the only notable loss for the Braves over the past few months; starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are also on the shelf after undergoing elbow surgery early in camp. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Reynaldo López have the makings of an elite top three, but considering the injury concerns that surround those pitchers, Holmes’ performance could loom large as the club’s No. 4 starter.
Holmes had his own injury setback last year when a partially torn UCL in his right elbow ended his season, but he showed promise beforehand with a 3.99 ERA, a 29.7% whiff rate and a 25% strikeout rate and is back to full strength this spring.
Eric Lauer, SP, Blue Jays
The Blue Jays entered Spring Training with one of baseball's deepest rotations following the signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, who joined a staff already featuring Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Shane Bieber and rookie phenom Trey Yesavage. But injuries have chipped away at that depth. With Bieber (forearm fatigue), Berríos (stress fracture in right elbow) and Yesavage (right shoulder impingement) all sidelined, Lauer is back in position to start for Toronto.
The veteran lefty was quite effective in that spot last season, posting a 3.77 ERA with a 4.11 K/BB ratio over 15 starts on top of his 1.76 ERA as a long reliever, and the club needs him to keep it up this year. Though Gausman and Cease give the Blue Jays a strong 1-2 punch atop the rotation, the back end looks precarious amid all of the club’s injuries. Ponce remains unproven outside of his lone year in the KBO, and while Toronto reunited with Max Scherzer after camp began, he’s now 41 and recorded a 5.19 ERA over 17 starts in 2025.
Coby Mayo, 3B, Orioles
Mayo, who opened 2025 as MLB Pipeline’s No. 14 overall prospect before putting together an uneven rookie season, didn’t appear to have a clear path to playing time after the Orioles signed first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal in December. However, an opportunity opened up at third base when Jordan Westburg was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow during the early days of camp. Mayo should have an extended chance to show the .902 OPS he posted over his final 26 games last year was no fluke.
Roki Sasaki, SP, Dodgers
The Dodgers have as much starting pitching talent as anyone, but virtually all of those arms have checkered injury histories. They’ve already received a reminder of their rotation’s fragility with Blake Snell (left shoulder discomfort) and Gavin Stone (right shoulder discomfort) slated to begin the season on the IL. If the Dodgers had those two healthy to go with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan on Opening Day, Sasaki would have been more of a luxury than a necessity. But the second-year righty has become increasingly important as Los Angeles chases its third straight title.
Sasaki was electric coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs last year, but he dealt with injury problems of his own during the regular season finished with a disappointing 4.46 ERA over 36 1/3 innings. He’s continued to struggle this spring (13.50 ERA, 2.70 WHIP), but manager Dave Roberts confirmed he’ll be in their rotation to start the year.
Brandon Sproat, SP, Brewers
Following what has become a familiar pattern for the organization, the Brewers traded ace Freddy Peralta to the Mets in February, one year before he was due to hit free agency. The return: a pair of MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams (No. 51) and Sproat (No. 100).
With Quinn Priester recovering from neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and oft-injured righty Brandon Woodruff building up slowly this spring, Sproat will be inserted into Milwaukee’s rotation immediately. Time will tell if he does enough to stay there permanently.