Injuries are becoming the norm for Columbus Crew SC. A number of players missed time last year, one of multiple reasons the Crew lost 16 games, the most defeats suffered by the team since 2013, and missed the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
The injury bug has struck again to begin 2020. In the first two games of the year, central defender Vito Wormgoor and left back Milton Valenzuela each sustained injuries that forced them to miss action. While both recovered during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, Valenzuela suffered a minor injury that kept him out of practice and forced him out of the first game of the MLS is Back Tournament and Wormgoor sustained an ankle injury in that first match against FC Cincinnati which saw him leave the bubble in Orlando, Florida and miss the rest of the tournament.