The injury undermines the club's project of playing Bonilla every day at third base, a switch made late this season.

But injuries undermined that plan, leaving the trio as prime examples why some contending teams are not reluctant to trade top prospects for established major league players when they have a chance to get to the playoffs.

The Mets stumbled their way through the season and finished fifth, the Reds' injuries undermined their effort, and the Royals never recovered from 16 losses in their first 17 games.

An injury undermined his postwar dream of being a cowboy and fixed his role as itinerant scholar and writer of that world.

The Braves held first place for two weeks in May, but injuries to starting pitchers undermined their position.

Sure, it is less than 5 percent of the season and injuries can undermine the most formidable teams.

Saberhagen was one of the players whose injuries undermined the Mets' chances in 1992.

The Cubs, led by a strong pitching staff, were supposed to contend for the National League Central title, but injuries to their top pitchers, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, undermined their effort.

The Dodgers had a manager, Jim Tracy, who directed them to a division championship in 2004, but injuries and DePodesta's questionable player moves last winter undermined the team's chances to repeat.

He was the first player selected in the 1999 amateur draft (by Tampa Bay), but injuries and addiction undermined his progress.