MLB Power Rankings 2012: Top Contenders with the Biggest Health Concerns

As we found out from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, a major injury to a single player doesn't necessarily have to derail an entire season. The Cards lost Adam Wainwright for the year before the season even started, and they still went on to win the World Series.

However, the Cardinals are the exception to the rule. The more injuries a given club is hit with, the harder it is for that club to compete. Just go back in time and ask the 2011 San Francisco Giants.

We've already seen some pretty major injuries crop up in the weeks before the 2012 regular season, and other clubs have to worry about players who are still recovering from past injuries. These injury situations have the potential to shake up the pennant race in the long run, and they could certainly do a number on my and everyone else's MLB power rankings (see below).

For the time being, there are several clubs I feel good about entering the season, but only if they stay healthy. Let's discuss them.

Honorable Mention: Cincinnati Reds (No. 15)

The Reds were looking to head into the season with a killer bullpen, but the loss of Ryan Madson for the season hurts. He has to have Tommy John surgery, and the Associated Press reports that Reds manager Dusty Baker is leaning toward using a closer-by-committee approach to account for Madson's absence.

Still, Madson's is the only major injury the Reds have to worry about, so I decided to keep them off the actual list.

5. Atlanta Braves (No. 14)

The Braves have two wounded veterans they have to worry about at present: starting pitcher Tim Hudson and third baseman Chipper Jones.

Hudson had back surgery in November, and it's been reported by David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Hudson wants to be back no later than May 1. Obviously, that depends on how his 36-year-old body responds in the coming weeks.

As for Jones, he had to have surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has reported that the Braves are hoping he'll be back in time for the team's home-opener. Even still, the Braves can rule out Jones playing a full season once he returns, as he's just not as young nor as healthy as he once was.

Beyond these two, the Braves have also lost young hurler Arodys Vizcaino for the season, according to O'Brien. He's one of the top young arms in baseball, and his absence robs the Braves of some crucial pitching depth.

Atlanta will have a shot at winning the AL East if Hudson and Jones stay healthy, but that's not going to happen, and none of us should forget that the Braves had to deal with plenty of other injuries last season. They could fall apart at the seams as the season goes along.

4. San Francisco Giants (No. 7)

The Giants have some preexisting injury concerns, the most pressing of which is Buster Posey's ankle.

The good news is that Posey hasn't aggravated anything in spring training after missing the bulk of 2011 due to his collision with Scott Cousins at home plate in May. However, the Giants know they'll be pushing their luck by catching Posey day after day after day. To help take some pressure off his ankle, they're making sure he can handle first base, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area.

The Giants also have to worry about second baseman Freddy Sanchez and starting pitching Ryan Vogelsong. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle has reported that both of them are likely to start the season on the disabled list.

Sanchez dislocated his shoulder in June last season, and his recovery hasn't gone as well as the Giants had hoped. His absence is big because he's a steady presence in the middle of the field and a perfect No. 2 hitter.

Vogelsong has a bad back, and it sounds like the Giants simply don't want to take any chances with it. They're kidding themselves if they think Vogelsong is going to have a 2.71 ERA again, but he's definitely a guy who gives their rotation some depth. Plus, he keeps Barry Zito as low on the totem pole as possible.

The Giants have enough pitching to compete this season regardless of what happens with these three guys, but they need all of them to be healthy and productive in order to win the NL West.

3. Washington Nationals (No. 8)

I've gone out on a limb and picked the Nationals to win the NL East this season, but they've gotten pretty banged up in recent days.

Drew Storen, Washington's talented young closer, is going to start the season on the disabled list with elbow inflammation, according to The Washington Post. The hope is that he'll be back by mid-April.

Per the Post, the Nats also have to worry about Michael Morse's bad back. He won't have to go on the DL, but he will "likely" miss the first couple games of the season. 

Not surprisingly, veteran starter Chien Ming-Wang is also hurt. The Washington Times has reported that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury, but the Nats aren't going to push him. John Lannan has already been plugged into the rotation in his place, according to the Post.

The Nats also have some guys they're going to be worrying about all season, and Stephen Strasburg's name is at the top of the list. Strasburg is an incredible young pitcher, but he's already had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has battled injuries of his own over the last two seasons, and you never know when Brad Lidge is going to get hurt.

Fully healthy, the Nats could have a special season. If the bodies start dropping like flies, well, they'll be nothing special.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (No. 12)

It almost sounds like Chris Carpenter is going through what Peyton Manning had to go through.

Carpenter has been shelved due to nerve irritation, and the latest word from MLB.com is that there's no real timetable for his return. But right now, it "appears" that Carpenter won't be back any earlier than May, and he'll probably be gone longer than that.

The Cardinals have the arms to compensate for Carpenter's absence in the meantime, but they'll be in deep trouble if Wainwright suffers any setbacks in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. His health is of paramount importance to this team's success.

Concerning the lineup, the latest word from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is that Allen Craig is likely to begin the season on the disabled list as he continues his recovery from offseason knee surgery. The Cardinals will hope that veterans Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman can stay healthy, and they also need David Freese to stay healthy for a full season, which is something he hasn't done yet. Matt Holliday will look to bounce back from a season that saw him battle several freak injuries.

St. Louis is capable of winning the NL Central this season, but without Albert Pujols, it could easily fall apart if the injuries start piling up. 

1. Philadelphia Phillies (No. 6)

On the bright side, all of Philly's starting pitchers are intact. As long as Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and the others are still active, the Phillies are going to have a good shot at winning the NL East.

But let's face it, the injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are pretty huge.

Howard has already suffered one setback in his recovery from offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, and the word from Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com is that the Phillies are hoping he can be back by early May. However, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has reported that late May or early June is more likely.

As for Utley, the Phillies have already determined that Utley won't be ready on Opening Day, and the team's official site says there's no timetable for his return. He's not retiring, for the record, but the fact that people bothered to ask in the first place should tell you how messed up Utley's knees are.

Without Utley and Howard in the lineup, the Phillies are a below-average offensive team. They'll be better with the two of them in the lineup, but they'll still be well south of elite.

In the event that one or both of them isn't able to stay healthy all season, the Phillies are going to be in trouble.

Zachary D. Rymer's March MLB Power Rankings

Rank	Team
1.	Detroit Tigers
2.	New York Yankees
3.	Texas Rangers
4.	Los Angeles Angels
5.	Tampa Bay Rays
6.	Philadelphia Phillies
7.	San Francisco Giants
8.	Washington Nationals
9.	Milwaukee Brewers
10.	Boston Red Sox
11.	Miami Marlins
12.	St. Louis Cardinals
13.	Arizona Diamondbacks
14.	Atlanta Braves
15.	Cincinnati Reds
16.	Toronto Blue Jays
17.	Los Angeles Dodgers
18.	Kansas City Royals
19.	Cleveland Indians
20.	Chicago White Sox
21.	San Diego Padres
22.	Colorado Rockies
23.	Pittsburgh Pirates
24.	Seattle Mariners
25.	New York Mets
26.	Chicago Cubs
27.	Minnesota Twins
28.	Oakland Athletics
29.	Baltimore Orioles
30.	Houston Astros