In just the past couple of days, three of MLB’s most prominent players—five-time All-Star Francisco Lindor of the Mets, two-time All-Star Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks and budding star Jackson Holliday of the Orioles—have been sidelined due to a hamate bone injury.
The news begs the question: What in the world is a hamate bone and how long does it take for such an injury to heal?
What is the hamate bone and where is it located?
The hamate bone is one of eight carpal bones that form part of the wrist joint. Specifically, the hamate bone is a small, hook-shaped bone that can be found on the medial side of the wrist, or on the palm just underneath the pinky.
How common are hamate bone injuries in baseball?
For the average person, not very common at all. According to research conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2024, hamate bone fractures occurred in 2-4% of all carpal bone fractures, making it a relatively rare injury.
However, injuries to the hamate bone are much more common in athletes who play sports in which a firm grip is required, such as baseball. Hamate bone fractures are caused either by acute trauma or chronic repetitive stress, the latter of which is the most common cause among competitive baseball players.
A study conducted by the NIH focused on eight competitive baseball players who suffered hamate bone fractures, and determined that the direct cause of the injury was attributed to batting, specifically repetitive swinging of the bat.
That checks out, as both Carroll and Holliday broke the hamate bones in their right hands during batting practice sessions.
Conversely, Lindor is dealing with a stress reaction in the hamate bone of his left hand. A stress reaction is essentially a precursor to a fracture and often requires surgery. And indeed, after being evaluated, Lindor will undergo surgery, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Hamate surgery recovery time
Recovery from surgery is generally anywhere from four to six weeks, but can vary. However, a return to play doesn’t necessarily also mean a return to full health. Hitters who undergo surgery to repair fractures to the hamate bone can sometimes experience reduced power in their swings, perhaps correlated to a reduction in grip strength.
What does this mean for Carroll, Lindor and Holliday?
Lindor was given a six-week recovery timeline, while Orioles president of baseball operations shared that Holliday’s timeline is likely to be measured in “weeks.” Meanwhile, no timetable for recovery was given for Carroll, though it’s likely that he’d be somewhere in a similar range as Lindor and Holliday.
A four-to-six week recovery timeline would result in all three players missing the bulk of spring training—and all of the World Baseball Classic in Carroll’s case. While the likes of Lindor, Carroll and Holliday could be ready for Opening Day, such a timetable would certainly at least put their respective statuses for the first game of the regular season in question.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Is a Hamate Bone? The Injury Sidelining MLB Stars During Spring Training.
