Injuries are a standard part of a baseball season. There’s a reason that teams get a 40-man roster and not just the standard 25, and it’s because without fail someone in the starting lineup is going to be hurt at some point or another throughout the year. Whether that injury is a minor contusion (fancy baseball phrasing for a bruise) or a more series tear, strain, or break, it seems like we’ve seen quite a few more players sidelined early in the year this season.
A lot of people are blaming the injuries on the lockout — players were unable to train at team facilities or with their standard athletic trainers — and the shortened spring training schedule that gave players (especially pitchers) considerably less time to get in game-shape for the regular season.