{"id":118138,"date":"2026-04-07T20:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=118138"},"modified":"2026-04-07T20:19:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:19:00","slug":"early-mlb-injuries-2026-impact-players-expected-to-miss-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/04\/07\/early-mlb-injuries-2026-impact-players-expected-to-miss-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Early MLB Injuries 2026: Impact Players Expected to Miss Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 MLB season is barely underway, and already, the injury bug is making its presence felt in a major way. Contenders and up-and-coming teams alike are being forced to adjust on the fly as key contributors who started the season healthy and active<\/em> are now headed to the injured list.<\/p>\n

From rising stars to future Hall of Famers, the early IL wave is shaping roster decisions, testing depth, and potentially altering the balance of power across both leagues.<\/p>\n

Here are five of the most impactful injuries so far\u2014and what they mean moving forward.<\/p>\n

Cade Horton<\/span><\/span> \u2013 Chicago Cubs<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Jun 8, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few injuries sting quite like this one.<\/p>\n

Horton<\/a>, one of the most electric young arms in baseball, opened the 2026 season in the Cubs<\/a>\u2019 rotation and took the ball early\u2014only to suffer an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the year. For a Chicago team counting on his breakout, this is more than a setback\u2014it\u2019s a major structural loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His absence leaves a glaring hole in the rotation and puts added pressure on the Cubs\u2019 depth far earlier than expected. For a team with postseason aspirations, losing Horton this early could have ripple effects all summer.<\/p>\n

Max Scherzer<\/span><\/span> \u2013 Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n

Even at this stage of his career, Scherzer<\/a> remains one of the most competitive and reliable arms in baseball\u2014when healthy.<\/p>\n

After beginning the season active, Scherzer has now landed on the IL, dealing with an injury that could cost him meaningful time. While the Blue Jays anticipated managing his workload, losing him this early forces a reshuffling of the rotation.<\/p>\n

For Toronto<\/a>, the concern isn\u2019t just the missed starts\u2014it\u2019s whether Scherzer can return at full strength for a team with clear championship ambitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hunter Brown<\/span><\/span> \u2013 Houston Astros<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Aug 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brown<\/a> entered 2026 as a critical piece of Houston<\/a>\u2019s rotation, and early on, he looked the part.<\/p>\n

Now, he\u2019s on the IL with elbow discomfort, expected to miss several weeks. While not currently viewed as a long-term injury, any elbow issue for a starting pitcher raises immediate red flags.<\/p>\n

For the Astros, this is a test of depth<\/a>. Brown\u2019s absence forces others into larger roles, and how Houston navigates the next few weeks could determine their early positioning in a competitive American League.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos<\/span><\/span> \u2013 Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n

Berr\u00edos<\/a> took the mound early in 2026, but his season has quickly hit uncertainty.<\/p>\n

After starting the year in the rotation, he\u2019s now on the IL with an arm issue that could prove significant. For a pitcher who has historically been durable, this is an unexpected and concerning development.<\/p>\n

Toronto relies heavily on Berr\u00edos as a stabilizing force. Without him, the rotation suddenly looks far less certain\u2014and far more vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Alejandro Kirk<\/span><\/span> \u2013 Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n

Kirk<\/a>\u2019s injury may not come on the mound, but its impact is just as significant.<\/p>\n

After appearing early this season, the Blue Jays catcher suffered a fractured thumb, landing him on the IL with what is expected to be an extended absence. Kirk is not just a bat in the lineup\u2014he\u2019s a key part of the pitching staff\u2019s rhythm and game-calling.<\/p>\n

Replacing that production and leadership behind the plate won\u2019t be easy, and it adds another layer of difficulty for a team already dealing with rotation issues.<\/p>\n

Toronto\u2019s Injury Problem Is Already Alarming<\/h2>\n
\"baseball
Jul 14, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios (17) at an MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No team has been hit harder early than the Toronto Blue Jays.<\/p>\n

With Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos<\/span><\/span>, Max Scherzer, Alejandro Kirk<\/span><\/span>, and Shane Bieber<\/span><\/span> all landing on the IL after beginning the season active, Toronto is facing a serious depth test just weeks into the year.<\/p>\n

The rotation is suddenly thin, the lineup is missing a key bat, and the margin for error in a loaded AL East has all but disappeared. If these injuries linger, the Blue Jays could find themselves playing catch-up far earlier than expected.<\/p>\n

The Bigger Picture<\/p>\n

Injuries are part of baseball\u2014but the timing of these matters.<\/p>\n

When key contributors go down after already being integrated into the season, it forces immediate and often uncomfortable adjustments. Rotations get reshuffled, prospects get accelerated, and contenders are tested before they\u2019ve had a chance to settle in.<\/p>\n

The 2026 season is still young\u2014but if this early IL wave is any indication, health may once again be one of the biggest factors separating contenders from pretenders.<\/p>\n

And right now, several teams are already feeling the cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 MLB season is barely underway, and already, the injury bug is making its presence felt in a major way. Contenders and up-and-coming teams alike are being forced to adjust on the fly as key contributors who started the season healthy and active are now headed to the injured list. From rising stars to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":102709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"807","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,2,14,1071,7],"tags":[5091,3671,4650,246,5519,1043,941,79,69,36],"class_list":["post-118138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cubs","category-featured","category-astros","category-mlb","category-bluejays","tag-alejandro-kirk","tag-cade-horton","tag-cubs-featured","tag-houston-astros","tag-hunter-brown","tag-jose-berrios","tag-latest-mlb-news","tag-max-scherzer","tag-mlb","tag-toronto-blue-jays"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118138"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118140,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118138\/revisions\/118140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}