Injuries are a part of the game that MLB fans wish they could ignore, but simply cannot. Injuries, whether we like it or not, can and do impact any given game and/or season. It's very rare for a team to lose a key player and still end up winning the World Series. There's a reason that the 2021 Atlanta Braves were so special.
Every team is dealing with injuries this time of year, and no, they shouldn't ever be used as an excuse for an early exit, but some of these injuries could be potentially season-defining. That isn't me making an excuse for teams, but it's simply the reality.
These seven injuries stick out as the most impactful when looking ahead to the postseason.
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7) Jason Adam, San Diego Padres
Jason Adam doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he should, probably because of his star-studded San Diego Padres bullpen-mates, but he's one of MLB's best relievers. He was an All-Star this season, posting a 1.93 ERA in 65 appearances as San Diego's primary setup man before suffering a season-ending quad injury in early September.
Yes, the Padres did acquire Mason Miller at the trade deadline, but the point of that trade was to create an overwhelmingly dominant bullpen, not to have him as an Adam replacement. Rostering Miller, Robert Suarez, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon in one bullpen is still absurd, but losing one of the best late-game relievers in the sport certainly hurts.
The idea behind the Padres going all-in on the bullpen was so that there would be less pressure for their starters to go deep into postseason games. Their bullpen is still very good, but losing Adam means that an extra inning either has to be covered by a starter or a lesser reliever, putting the Padres in a worse spot objectively.
San Diego should be fine without him, and this isn't nearly as big a deal as some other injuries, but it's an unfortunate one nonetheless.
6) Josh Hader, Houston Astros
The Josh Hader injury is a really unfortunate one for the Houston Astros to have to deal with. He suffered a severe enough shoulder injury to end his regular season prematurely. The Astros hope he'll be back for the postseason, but since he hasn't even started throwing yet, who knows when he'll be back? Even if he's able to return, who knows how good he'll be?
By losing Hader, the Astros not only lost their dominant closer, but also forced their dominant eighth-inning man to take over in the ninth. This has resulted in them getting not quite the same production in the ninth, and not the same production whatsoever as the bridge to even get to Abreu.
The Astros need Hader, one of the game's best closers, but at the end of the day, his impact just isn't the same as the other players on this list. There's only so much impact a reliever can have on a given game. If the Astros aren't tied or winning after seven or eight innings, there isn't much Hader can do to help them win.
Don't get me wrong, Houston is in a much worse position without Hader and might not even make the playoffs, thanks somewhat to this injury. When comparing him to the rest of the list, though, it's hard to make a case for him to be ranked higher than this.
5) Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays
If MLB had a Comeback Player of the Year award, Bo Bichette might've won it for this season. Bichette had a lost year in 2024, in which he missed substantial time due to injury and struggled when he was on the field. This season, though, Bichette leads the majors in hits and doubles while slashing .311/.357/.483. He has 18 home runs, and he's driven in 94 runs. He's been one of the best offensive players in the American League, point blank.
His knee injury, suffered in early September, will cost him the rest of the regular season, but the Toronto Blue Jays hope to get him back for the postseason. They're likely going to get a first-round bye, allowing them to give Bichette more time to get healthy, but it's anyone's best guess as to when or even if he'll be ready. Even if he is able to return, will Bichette be able to perform at the All-Star level he was pre-injury?
It stings to lose a player of Bichette's caliber, but the Jays haven't missed a beat without him. Toronto has gone 10-2 in games Bichette has missed, showing they can win even with the shortstop on the sidelines.
Obviously, they'd be far better with him than without, but with guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho available, the Jays have a good amount of firepower even without Bichette, and they're a better defensive team without him anyway. It's a huge loss, but when compared to other injuries, the Jays aren't in such bad shape.
4) Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
It might be shocking to see a pitcher as good as Zack Wheeler as No. 4 on this list, and frankly, I'm shocked I put him this low. With that being said, even without Wheeler, the Philadelphia Phillies still have one of MLB's best rotations.
Cristopher Sanchez is a full-on ace now, and he's likely going to be the NL Cy Young runner-up to Paul Skenes. Ranger Suarez has a sub-3.00 ERA on the year and is throwing the ball as well as he has all year. Jesus Luzardo's ERA is a bit inflated thanks to two putrid starts months ago when he was tipping, but he's had a great year with the Phillies overall. I mean, 20 of the 76 earned runs he's given up this year, or 26.3 percent, came in that two-start span. Aaron Nola has his question marks, but as a No. 4 starter, you really can do worse than a guy with his upside. Taijuan Walker, as an insurance option, is pretty darn good, too.
There's no replacing a pitcher of Wheeler's caliber, but with Sanchez, Suarez, Luzardo and Nola healthy, the Phillies are still well-equipped to go on a deep postseason run.
3) Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
In a vacuum, Zack Wheeler is a better player than Trea Turner. For the Phillies, though, you really can make the case that Turner is more valuable than Wheeler. As mentioned above, even without Wheeler, the rotation is fine. Without Turner, is the Phillies' lineup really fine?
Kyle Schwarber is having an MVP-caliber year and Bryce Harper is still a superstar, but who is their third-best hitter without Turner? J.T. Realmuto? I mean, do we really expect the Cinderella runs we've seen from the likes of Harrison Bader and Max Kepler lately to carry into the postseason? The Phillies need Turner to set the table for Schwarber and Harper, as he had done so well prior to his injury.
To be fair, they have been fine without him since he suffered his hamstring injury in early September, but the regular season is not the postseason. Countless times, we've seen the Phillies come up small in the postseason because they don't score enough runs. Scoring runs without Turner feels like an impossibility, and his defense is impossible to replace, too.
The Phillies hope Turner will be back by late September, and the NLDS at the latest. They'd better hope that's the case.
2) Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
It might seem a bit strange to have Yordan Alvarez this high for a variety of reasons. The Houston Astros are only 26-22 with him in the lineup, they've been able to win games without him, and his overall numbers are fairly pedestrian. I have some counters, though.
Sure, the Astros have been fine without him for the most part, but the regular season is not the postseason. If you don't think the Astros will have a lot of trouble scoring runs without Alvarez, I have a bridge to sell you. Alvarez, when right, is one of the best hitters on the planet. The Astros saw that right before he suffered his ankle injury on Monday.
Alvarez returned from a three-month IL stint and slashed .369/.462/.569 with three home runs and nine RBI in 19 games. A 19-game sample size might not be massive, but it goes to show what Alvarez is capable of. He can legitimately carry an offense for weeks at a time.
The Astros probably don't have enough firepower without him, and perhaps even more importantly, are ridiculously easy to pitch to without him. Alvarez was really their only notable left-handed hitter. Without him, they're fully right-handed, making them far too easy to gameplan against.
Alvarez suffered a "pretty significant" ankle sprain on Monday and is out indefinitely. The hope, obviously, is to have him back for the postseason (if the Astros can even get there, but nobody really knows at this point.
I never like counting the Astros out completely because of their success over the last decade, but if Alvarez can't play, it's very, very hard to envision this team even winning a postseason series.
1) Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
A big reason why the Boston Red Sox have been better without Rafael Devers than with him, is that Roman Anthony has become an almost immediate star in his rookie year. He got off to a sluggish 2-for-27 start, but then went on to slash .317/.419/.491 with seven home runs in 62 games before suffering an oblique injury.
Not only has Anthony shown that he's a star at just 21 years of age, but he's easily the most important player on this Red Sox team. Their record with and without him says all you need to know in that regard. Boston has gone 44-27 with Anthony, and just 38-42 without him. That's right - they're 17 games over .500 with him and four games under .500 without him. If you want to only discuss their record since he suffered his injury, Boston has gone just 4-7 in that span. By all accounts, they're a great team with him and one not worthy of being in the postseason discussion without him.
The Red Sox will likely make the playoffs, but without Anthony, that's far from a given. If they were to make the playoffs, who knows when he'll return, and who knows how effective he'll be? At the end of the day, if they want to go on a deep postseason run, Anthony must factor in at some point. There's simply no way they do any damage without him.
This is a lot of pressure to put on a 21-year-old rookie, but the numbers do not lie.