Every year, teams that are widely expected to succeed at the outset of the season stumble due to injury woes. Teams that look strong on paper can often perform much less impressively if even one or two key players are removed from the mix, and even the very best teams can look vulnerable with a long enough string of tough-luck injuries. 2026 has been no exception to this so far, with several teams facing substantially tougher roads in the months ahead thanks to an early injury or three putting them on the back foot. Which team has it worst when it comes to the injury bug? Here’s a few of the leading contenders, in alphabetical order:
Atlanta Braves
One look at Atlanta’s list of injured players makes it easy to see why they’re in this conversation. The Braves’ injured starting pitchers would be a respectable starting rotation when taken together: Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Joey Wentz are all currently on the shelf. While Wentz is more of a back-end starter or swing man, the other four would all be in the conversation to start playoff games for the Braves alongside future Hall of Famer Chris Sale if they were healthy. In addition to the starting pitching woes, the Braves are without two key members of their lineup: catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Despite this deep group of talented players on the shelf, it can be argued the Braves haven’t been too impacted by those issues: they’re actually leading the NL East at the moment, and scorching hot starts from Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubon have helped fans to forget about the losses of Murphy and Kim.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles could be easy to overlook on a list like this given their considerable depth all over the diamond, but that depth has been tested a great deal already this year. Zach Eflin is out for the year as he faces UCL surgery, but unlike other teams on this list the rotation is the least of Baltimore’s woes. A lineup that is currently without Jordan Westburg (elbow sprain), Jackson Holliday (hamate surgery), Adley Rutschman (ankle inflammation), Tyler O’Neill (concussion), Ryan Mountcastle (foot fracture) and Heston Kjerstad (hamstring strain) has been rather resilient in the face of those many losses thanks to the team’s deep positional corps. The bullpen has not been so fortunate, as last summer’s loss of Felix Bautista has been compounded by injuries to Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge to completely upend the Orioles’ late-inning mix outside of Ryan Helsley.
Chicago Cubs
While some teams collapse under the weight of several injuries piling up, the Cubs have struggled to stomach just one major loss. Star right-hander Cade Horton looked like an up-and-coming ace with the club last year, but just two starts into what would’ve been his first season in the majors, the right-hander was sidelined for UCL surgery. That’ll leave the Cubs without their best pitcher for the entire year, all while Justin Steele is still rehabbing from his own UCL surgery last April. The loss of Horton isn’t the only injury the Cubs have faced this year, either. Seiya Suzuki missed the start of the season after getting hurt during the WBC, though he’s since returned to the lineup. Matthew Boyd is currently sidelined by an arm injury of his own, and the team’s top two bullpen additions from the offseason (Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey) have both recently gone on the injured list as well. Losing Horton might be the biggest individual blow any team has faced so far this year, though other teams surely have it worse than the Cubs when it comes to volume.
Houston Astros
The Astros have had a brutal run of injuries so far this year. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are both sidelined with shoulder strains. Tatsuya Imai (arm fatigue) joined them on the shelf and Cody Bolton (mid-back tightness) is also banged up. Things aren’t much better outside of the rotation. An outfield mix that was already looking thin before the season began lost its best starter in center fielder Jake Meyers to an oblique strain. The infield lost Jeremy Peña to a hamstring strain. The bullpen has also struggled badly without star closer Josh Hader, who has been sidelined by biceps tendinitis without much clarity on his timeline for a return to action. Other, smaller loses include outfielder Zach Dezenzo, lefty Bennett Sousa, and right-hander Nate Pearson. That’s on top of the continued absences of players like Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco due to surgeries underwent last season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The reigning AL champs have struggled badly with injuries all over the roster this year. The most obvious are those in the rotation, where all of Cody Ponce, Bowden Francis, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage are currently shelved with only Yesavage likely to return any time soon. That’s left the Jays to rely on Patrick Corbin and an injured Max Scherzer in the early going. While the lineup hasn’t been quite as damaged as the rotation, there’s still been significant losses. Alejandro Kirk is in the midst of six-week absence due to thumb surgery. Anthony Santander was sidelined before the year even began by shoulder surgery. George Springer (fractured toe) and Addison Barger (sprained ankle) are facing injuries of their own. While the bullpen has remained intact, the number of injuries in the rotation and lineup have left the Jays looking very different than they would when healthy.
Other Options
Those five teams aren’t the only ones facing injury woes, of course. The Mets have an argument given that Juan Soto is probably the most impactful talent on the injured list all throughout the league at the moment, though he’ll be back in a few weeks and they lack other significant injuries. The Yankees are currently without players like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Anthony Volpe, but those injuries were known during the offseason and the club was able to construct their roster around them. The Dodgers’ losses of Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Blake Snell are certainly significant, but it’s hard to say they’re being impacted too much when they have the best record in baseball. The Brewers have a strong argument for this list in the event that Christian Yelich joins Quinn Priester and Jackson Chourio on the shelf, though that isn’t yet certain. The Reds have stayed healthy in the lineup and bullpen, but the losses of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are obviously a big blow to their rotation.
Which team do MLBTR readers think has been most impacted by injuries this year? Have your say in the poll below:
Dbacks
I feel like the World Series last year might’ve tinkered with the health of many Blue Jays.
I voted for the Braves, but I can’t count Ha-Seong Kim as a particularly important loss. It defies logic why—given what he’s done when on the field—he’s not another Cavan Biggio.
I voted Braves but not because they were negatively impacted. Almost crazy that the backups have been playing better than the starters were expected too
So the Marlins being without their best hitter (Stowers) biggest FA signing (Morel) and having multiple pitchers yet to debut in 2026 doesn’t even register here huh lol
You had me at Stowers and lost me at Morel.
this is certainly one of the most takes of all time
Who???
Astros!
I’m going to go with Astros. There’s a bit of bias in it of course, but I still think it’s the Astros that has been impacted most by injuries, I mean, it’s asking what I think, and I think it’s my team, the Astros.
In the off-season I was like, can’t be worse than 2025. Wrong. We’ve already had like what, 13 IL stints?
Knights, especially after Bump Bailey’s tragic demise
I went with the Cubs on this one. They lost Horton for the season. That one hit them square.
I feel that the Braves are winning the resiliency award. Losing an entire starting rotation to injuries while leading the majors in ERA is amazing.
Is this really a poll question instead of straight fact?
The Blue Jays are probably number one but Houston is catching up. The Braves and Orioles saw their injuries occur in training camp, which I think has helped then weather the storm better than if it were during the season
Feels like the DBacks should at least get an honorable mention here. They’ve played well, but you can’t ignore how many key players they’re missing. They’re down their best SP (Burnes), top 3 relievers (Puk, Martinez, Saalfrank), starting left fielders (Gurriel, Lawlar), and both 1st basemen (Smith, Santana).
Astros and Blue Jays in alphabetical order. Both have been devastated so far, so take your pick.
@outinleftfield
As a Jays fan I can empathize with Astros fans. It really is a coin toss.
Ouch!! I think I sprained my thumb tossing the coin!
Brewers Andrew Vaughn has been out since opening day too
The O’s are my answer but also the front office has continued to neglect their pitching staff. Tough to feel that bad for em
The assessment by Nick Deeds of the Orioles masking the level of injuries by having insane depth is spot on.
5 regular players from last years lineup are on the DL. And the lineup is still solid.
Orioles learned from last years injury evisceration, and adjusted almost comicaly so. But they should be laughing a little now.
All these excuses smh Rockies just go out and play ball
Cubs lost their ace two years in a row with the same UCL Surgery. That’s tough. Plus Matthew Boyd is now on the IL
Injuries have the Dodgers off to a slow start.
Three regular position players and many pitchers.
/ss (sorta sarcasm)
Dodgers will have to rely on this Ohtani guy I suppose….
They just recalled Kyle Hurt, ironically
Ohtani’s alright. But he’s no Pages so far.
Team neutral id say Toronto, but looking at Houston’s rotation, I gotta say them. Kai tai weng might be their ace by wednesday at this rate.
Living in Plano, Texas, as a Rangers fan, I looked at this list and thanked God it is the Houston Astros limping through the season. Not saying I wished for injuries… but if baseball karma had a suggestion box, I may have slipped in a note of players that should have received a lifetime ban for cheating like the 1919 Black Sox!!!!
Blue Jays are taking a beating but Astros are catching up. Cubs lost Horton, but hopefully Steele can come in and help the rotation.
I mean, the Orioles tonight may have their skipper Albernez in the IL. Took a foul ball to shoulder/head. Two innings in the club house, hasn’t returned, no update. Hope he’s okay. 🤞
Add a vote for the Red Sox after Crochet ends up on IL w a dead arm after tonight.
Two major pieces in Santander and Cody Ponce are out for the season with the blue birds
Seriously? You don’t listen the Brewers in the top 3? Chourio, Vaughn, Yelich, Priester, Henderson, Koenig, Zastryzny, Yoho,Baddoo.
That’s 3 of the best offensive players, 2 starters and three bullpen assets.