MLB’s Most Important Injuries To Monitor for October
Postseason baseball is back, and this World Series race is wide open. Will these stars be able to help push their teams over the finish line?
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After a long and hard-fought season, October has officially arrived.
The 12 best teams in the league have earned their place in the postseason. The matchups are set, and all that remains is to see who emerges as World Series champions.
This season was an interesting one. Teams have seemed evenly matched for the most part throughout the year. Most division leads were challenged or overturned altogether.
One significant indicator of the league’s parity going into the postseason lies in the American League. The Blue Jays were the first AL team to clinch a postseason berth just a week ago. The days that followed were pure baseball chaos.
The Guardians came all the way back to clinch the AL Central title over the Tigers after trailing by as many as 15.5 games earlier this year. The Mariners clinched their first AL West title since 2001, and the Blue Jays kept the Yankees at bay in the battle for the AL East.
As for the National League, the Reds fought their way into the final wild-card spot at the last second. The Mets, who started the season with a 45-24 record, were eliminated from contention.
Now that the regular season has concluded, each team will have a chance to prove their worth. Parity among competitors seems to be very well balanced, given the hectic final weeks of the year. The playoffs are already unpredictable as is, so this means any team has a serious argument to contend.
Because of this, each team will shoulder more pressure to put forward the best they have to offer. With the health of several key players on playoff rosters in question, injuries will likely be play a significant role.
Today, we break down the most impactful injuries to look out for and what they mean for the postseason.
Bo Bichette
The Toronto Blue Jays are riding high going into the postseason. Having clinched the AL East division and earned a bye going into the ALDS, they’re in a solid position overall.
However, they are likely to be missing a key member of their lineup in shortstop Bo Bichette. He has not played since September 6, when he injured his knee attempting to slide into home plate.
Before the injury, Bichette was hitting .311/.357/.483 with a 129 OPS+ in an excellent bounce-back campaign. He struggled mightily in his shortened 2024 campaign, but has been more than reliable at the plate this year.
The Blue Jays still have a formidable offense, but having Bichette back in the lineup would greatly solidify it. Bichette has reportedly taken some swings in the cage, so his return is not out of the question.
As for where Bichette would slot in, it might work better for him to serve as a DH. Given his fielding concerns this year alongside the injured knee, keeping him off the field to keep him in the lineup would be a fair trade off. His status for the divisional round, though, remains up in the air.
Bryan Woo
On September 19, the Mariners pulled Bryan Woo after the fifth inning due to him experiencing upper body discomfort. Later, an MRI revealed some inflammation in his right pectoral muscle.
This was somewhat of good and bad news. On one side, losing Woo would be a tremendous blow to the Mariners’ pitching staff. However, the fact that there was nothing wrong with his elbow or throwing shoulder was relieving.
Woo has been sensational this year in Seattle. Coming off a strong 2024 campaign where he posted a 2.89 ERA over 121.1 innings of work, Woo put up a 2.94 ERA over 30 starts and finished just shy of 200 strikeouts with 198.
Luckily for Seattle fans, Woo was able to avoid the injured list. He will also have some time to rest up before the ALDS with the Mariners’ bye week. Woo played catch this past Thursday without much discomfort, and all signs are pointing to him being ready for the ALDS.
With the American League particularly winnable, having Woo healthy on the mound will make the Mariners an even more potent threat. They are already known for having a remarkably strong rotation. That said, Woo has largely led the pack this year.
Given the optimism expressed by both Woo himself and team officials, the Mariners seem somewhat confident he will return. There is no guarantee he will be at full capacity, so they will have to hope he bounces back strong.
Brandon Woodruff
The Brewers caught on fire through the second half and will enter the postseason as the team to beat in the National League.
However, their pitching situation will have a few question marks around it, specifically with key starter Brandon Woodruff.
Woodruff was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 18, citing a right lat strain. He visited his shoulder surgeon for more information, but there are no further updates on his status.
This makes the Brewers’ bye week all the more crucial, as it will provide a bit more time to decide whether Woodruff will be able to factor into the rotation. He looked dominant in his first innings since 2023, pitching to a 3.20 ERA and managing a 32.3% strikeout rate in his return from injury.
His absence in the rotation has a major impact on how the Brewers might structure the top three in their rotation. They’ll hope to get their longtime starter back in time as they aim to bring home the first World Series win in franchise history.
Kyle Tucker and Cade Horton
Cubs fans can sigh a small breath of relief with Kyle Tucker returning to the lineup to end the season. Tucker had been out with a calf strain since early September, and has been working to rehab the injury since.
He has since returned, and will need to get back to form with a very short runway. Tucker is an essential cog in the Cubs’ lineup. They’ll want to get as much value as they can with his future in Chicago still up in the air.
Tucker hit .268/.379/.467 this year, falling off a bit after a hot start to the season. This was likely due to a hairline fracture on his right hand he suffered on June 1st sliding into second. Tucker has played through the injury, and will likely continue to deal with it through the postseason.
His performance was still strong overall, and his postseason experience is immensely valuable. However, whether Tucker can get back to producing at an MVP-caliber level in October remains in question.
Though Tucker seems to be getting healthy, things have not gone as favorably for the Cubs’ pitching staff. They were dealt a heavy blow when rookie Cade Horton was sidelined with a rib fracture.
Horton was incredible for the Cubs down the stretch, finishing his rookie campaign with a 2.67 ERA over 118 innings. As such, the timing of this injury could not be worse. The Cubs will be without him at least through the first round, with no guarantee he will return this year.
Will Smith and Max Muncy
The Dodgers have had more than their fair share of injury woes this year. Despite this, they’ve maintained strong momentum in the lead-up to the postseason.
The Dodgers’ pitching staff has mostly recovered and performed well. Unfortunately, their offense remains dampened by the absence of Will Smith. He last played on September 9, but suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand.
Prior to the injury, Smith was having easily the best season of his career. Over 436 plate appearances, Smith hit .296/.404/.497 while throwing out runners at an elite rate. This was a significant step forward from his .248/.327/.433 line the previous year.
Losing Smith left a sizable hole at the catcher’s position for the Dodgers. In the weeks since, Ben Rortvedt has largely stepped into the role with Dalton Rushing also starting.
However, manager Dave Roberts said that Smith had taken swings in the batting cage and responded well. Whether Smith returns for the Wild Card Series is a toss-up, but the Dodgers are hopeful he will return.
The other significant injury concern for the Dodgers lies with Max Muncy. He has not played since September 24th, but should return for Game One. Muncy is reportedly dealing with lower body soreness, and has dealt with a slew of injuries in 2025.
This season alone, Muncy has been shelved with knee, oblique, and wrist injuries. This health instability has likely taken a toll on Muncy. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to return fully and stay on the field.
If Muncy is unable to return to the team, it would be a sizable blow to the lineup. While Muncy struggled out of the gate, he put up the Dodgers’ second best wRC+ (160) after May 1st.
Signs remain positive for both players to make a return at some point during the postseason. Both would be strong reinforcements for the Dodgers, who have seen their offense dip significantly at points in this season.
If both players come back, the Dodgers will make for an imposing force as they attempt to win the World Series in back-to-back years.
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