2025 MLB playoffs: The eight injuries that could have the biggest impact on the World Series chase
No team is fully healthy by the time October rolls around
By
Dayn Perry
•
4 min read
Unfortunately, playoff teams in Major League Baseball are very often not at full strength by the time October arrives. That's the nature of a six-month regular season in which teams play almost every day.
Speaking of all that, let's have a quick look at the major injuries some playoff teams are dealing with right now as postseason play is set to start on Tuesday. These are the most notable contributors to teams in the postseason whose statuses are varying degrees of uncertain right now. Let's have commiserating look right now …
Roman Anthony, Red Sox
The rookie phenom was probably the Sox's best player following his call-up in early June, as Anthony amassed a WAR of 3.1 in just 71 games played. Unfortunately for Boston, Anthony has been out since Sept. 2 because of a strained left oblique, and he'll miss the Wild Card Series showdown with the Yankees and maybe more if the Sox advance to the Division Series. Anthony's on-base skills will be sorely missed at the top of Alex Cora's lineup.
Bo Bichette, Blue Jays
Bichette was deep into an impressive bounce-back season for the AL East champs when a left knee sprain -- the result of a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells -- cut him down on Sept. 6. Fortunately for Bichette and the Jays, they have a first-round bye, and that means additional precious days for Bichette to heal. We may not know more until Toronto submits its Division Series roster.
Lucas Giolito, Red Sox
Giolito has been a steadying presence in the Boston rotation behind ace Garrett Crochet, but it's not looking like he'll be available in the postseason because of an elbow injury. Manager Alex Cora on Tuesday told reporters that it seems that Giolito avoided any worst-case scenarios with his elbow but that he's probably not going to be able to pitch in the playoffs.
Breakout candidate Connor Early is likely to start Game 3, if necessary, instead.
Cade Horton, Cubs
The Cubs are a real threat on the NL side of the bracket, but they have rotation concerns going into their Wild Card Series against the Padres. Many of those concerns flow from Horton's uncertain status. The rookie has been the Cubs' best starting pitcher on a rate basis by a significant margin, but a rib fracture has laid him up and will cause him to miss the clash with the Padres. No doubt, Horton's status will be revisited should the Cubs advance, but in the meantime his absence will be keenly felt on the North Side of Chicago.
Will Smith, Dodgers
The stalwart Dodger catcher in 2025 enjoyed his best-ever season at the plate. However, Smith suffered what was first believed to be a bone contusion in his hand, but that was eventually revealed to be a hairline fracture. He hasn't played since Sept. 9 and has played in only one game since Sept. 3. At this point, it's looking unlikely that Smith will be rostered for the Dodgers' Wild Card Series matchup with the Reds. If the Dodgers advance and Smith is able to later in the postseason, it's possible such an injury will still compromise him at the plate.
Zack Wheeler, Phillies
Here's the crushing-est crushing blow of all. Wheeler has been one of the very best starting pitchers in all of baseball across his entire Phillies tenure, and this season was no exception. Lamentably, a blood clot in his shoulder required season-ending surgery, and we won't see Wheeler on a mound again until next season. From the Phillies' standpoint, they have two 200-strikeout arms (Christopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo), plus stalwart Ranger Suárez who have stepped into the breach, but there's no way you can lose a moundsman like Wheeler and not feel it.
Brandon Woodruff, Brewers
Woodruff's comeback from major shoulder surgery had been going swimmingly and then some until a lat injury landed him on the injured list on Sept. 21. As the best team in the NL (and all of baseball), the Brewers have a first-round bye, which means they don't have to submit their first postseason roster until the day of Game 1 of their Division Series. Woodruff would not have been a go for the Wild Card Series, but his status for the next round isn't known yet. No doubt, Milwaukee is holding out hope.
Bryan Woo, Mariners
When healthy, Woo has been Seattle's best starting pitcher in 2025, at both the run-prevention and underlying levels. So when he succumbed to a pectoral injury on Sept. 19, it was a serious and concerning blow to the Mariners' title hopes. They have a bye, so there's time yet for Woo to get healthy. Lead exec Jerry Dipoto recently struck an optimistic tone about Woo's chances of being ready for ALDS Game 1, so things appear to be trending in the right direction for Seattle and their ace.
The list above does not include the likes of Trea Turner of the Phillies (hamstring) and Kyle Tucker of the Cubs (calf), who each very recently returned from injury but may still be compromised to some extent by the aftereffects of those injuries. They, like all of the names above, merit your attention as the playoffs unfurl.
