Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
This year’s Spring Training began with a ton of hope spread throughout each of the 30 Major League teams. But MLB injuries always seem to creep up on a few clubs prematurely every season.
The New York Mets, equipped with the return of their young stars, looked to put out a legitimate starting rotation that could challenge the rest of the National League.
Kansas City brought in a recovering former Braves starter to help replace the departure of their former ace, and look to perpetuate the presence of a powerhouse bullpen.
The Texas Rangers carried built excitement in the desire to finally field a completely healthy team once again, and return to the top in a stacked AL West division.
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The Phillies decided to hold onto their veteran starter’s in a selfish market where many believed the Phillies should have traded them away to begin a long, tenuous rebuilding process.
Lastly, Toronto looked poised to grab hold of the reigns in a weak AL East division with the support of young but talented members of the pitching staff.
Each team still shows some promise. Maybe a little bit of reckless promise now. But is there still hope for these five clubs? Not quite. Each team mentioned got hit with a bit of an injury bug during Spring Training, dramatically hindering their supply of hope for a successful season. Good hitters, young talent, and strong pitching are all susceptible to the toll of preseason injuries, including age and surprise sprinkler holes.
Let’s take a further look at the players injured so far in March and the impact each team will face in their absences.
Next: New York Mets