During Spring Training last season, it was discovered that Omar Infante had bone chips in his elbow. While they were not enough to keep him from playing, the bone chips would require offseason surgery. At the time, it was wondered why Infante would put off the surgery, but if he could play through the pain, then it was worth the risk.
However, Infante struggled throughout the season. Despite having moments like his seven RBI game on September 7th, and having hit seven triples, Infante managed to produce a mere .220/.234/.318 batting line. His OPS+ of 45 ranked him as the worst every day second baseman in baseball last year, as it was apparent that his injury issues were taking their toll on his production.