The Opening Day for the 2026 MLB season is under a month away, bringing more focus on the availability of star outfielder Corbin Carroll by the start of the new campaign for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Carroll suffered an injury on Feb. 10 in his right hamate bone, which was addressed immediately with surgery the next day. Going under the knife put his availability for Opening Day up in the air at the time, and while it's still uncertain, it appears that Carroll is on track to be on the field when the Diamondbacks face the two-time defending World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Mar. 26.
“Starting to start to build up there,” Carroll said about his status, via
Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. “It's very low intensity, like flips and tee [work]. I mean, it doesn't feel great. Definitely ahead of schedule. I think some other guys that have gone through a hamate injury were happy to see where I am [given] how far I am out of surgery.”
And when asked if he feels good about his chances to be out there on Opening Day, the former National League Rookie of the Year Award winner said: “Yeah, I'm pushing for it.”
A two-time All-Star, Carroll has been among the rocks of the club since his rookie season. Over the last three seasons, he's hit .258/.341/.491 with a total of 78 home runs to go along with 234 RBIs and 121 stolen bases, while posting a 126 OPS+ and 14.4 bWAR across 456 games and 1,971 plate appearances.
