Dodgers 2026 Injured List Tracker: Your Complete Guide to Every Roster Move

In the high-stakes world of Major League Baseball, no team understands the brutal reality of the injured list quite like the Los Angeles Dodgers. As we barrel toward the 2026 season, the Dodgers are once again positioned as World Series favorites, but their path to October glory will almost certainly be paved with stints on the IL. This is your one-stop shop for every Dodgers stint on the injured list during the 2026 season. We’ll also track every time a player misses time on the paternity list, bereavement leave, or the family medical emergency list. Basically, any time a player misses time that requires a roster move, we’ll note it here.

Why is this tracker essential? Because the Dodgers have turned roster management into a science—and a survival game. During the 2025 season, 28 different Dodgers players spent time on the injured list, some of them for multiple stints. That matched the team total from 2024, while in 2023 the Dodgers saw 34 players miss time on the IL. Those numbers aren’t anomalies; they’re a blueprint. The front office, led by Andrew Friedman, has built a culture of depth, but even the deepest farm system can be tested. Every injured-list stint is a transaction and will also be chronicled on our 40-man roster page. Both are essentially living documents that will be constantly updated throughout the season as these moves happen.

Remember the rules: Injured-list stints for pitchers are a minimum of 15 days, and for position players it’s at least 10 days. That means a tweaked hamstring for a shortstop keeps him out for a week and a half, while a sore elbow for a starter forces a two-week absence. This tracker will break down every move, from the star-studded superstars to the unheralded relievers, and provide expert analysis on how each absence impacts the Dodgers’ championship chase.

Why the Dodgers Lead the League in IL Stints (And Why It Doesn’t Matter)

Let’s get one thing straight: The Dodgers aren’t unlucky. They are aggressive. The organization has a long-standing philosophy of being hyper-cautious with player health, often placing players on the IL for minor ailments that other teams might let slide. This proactive approach inflates the raw numbers. When you see 28 players on the IL in 2025 or 34 in 2023, remember that many of those stints are precautionary. The Dodgers would rather lose a player for 10 days than risk a season-ending injury by pushing them through a Grade 1 strain.

But there’s also a darker reality: the Dodgers’ roster is aging in key areas. Mookie Betts will be 33 in 2026. Freddie Freeman will be 36. Shohei Ohtani, while still a generational talent, is coming off multiple arm surgeries and will be used as a two-way player in 2026. That workload demands careful management. The 2026 season will likely see Ohtani placed on the IL at least once—not for a major injury, but to give his throwing arm a scheduled breather. Expect a “right forearm fatigue” stint that lasts the minimum 15 days.

Expert prediction: The Dodgers will have at least 30 different players hit the IL in 2026. That sounds catastrophic, but it’s actually a sign of organizational discipline. The front office knows that a healthy roster in October is worth more than a full-strength roster in April. The 2024 and 2025 seasons proved that depth wins regular-season games, even if it doesn’t always guarantee a World Series ring.

Key Positions to Watch: Where the 2026 IL Stints Will Hurt Most

Not all IL stints are created equal. A 10-day absence for a backup catcher is a footnote. A 15-day absence for a frontline starter is a crisis. Here are the positions where the Dodgers simply cannot afford to lose players for extended periods in 2026:

• Starting Pitching: The Dodgers rotation is a house of cards built on fragile arms. Tyler Glasnow has never thrown 150 innings in a season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is entering his third MLB season, but his delivery puts immense stress on his shoulder. Bobby Miller needs to prove he can stay healthy after a 2025 season derailed by shoulder inflammation. Even Ohtani, when he pitches, will be on a strict innings limit. Expect at least three different starting pitchers to miss 30+ days combined.
• Shortstop: Gavin Lux or Miguel Rojas (if he returns) will hold down the position, but the Dodgers lack a true elite shortstop prospect ready to step in. A 10-day IL stint here could force Chris Taylor into everyday duty, which is a defensive downgrade. The team may explore a trade for a utility infielder midseason just to hedge.
• Outfield: Betts is moving back to the outfield in 2026, but he’s not a spring chicken. James Outman has shown flashes of brilliance but also long slumps. Andy Pages is a young talent but still learning to read breaking balls. If Betts goes down for even 15 days, the outfield becomes a patchwork of platoons. The Dodgers will likely carry an extra outfielder on the 40-man roster specifically for this reason.
• Bullpen: The Dodgers’ bullpen is a revolving door. Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia are locks, but the rest of the relief corps is a mix of reclamation projects and rookies. The IL here is a non-story because the Dodgers cycle through relievers like a conveyor belt. Expect 10 different relievers to spend time on the IL, each for 15-day stretches.

How the Dodgers’ 2026 IL Strategy Differs from 2024 and 2025

The numbers from the past two seasons tell a story of resilience, but 2026 will be different. In 2024 and 2025, the Dodgers were still dealing with the fallout from major injuries to Walker Buehler (now with another team) and Dustin May (who remains a question mark). In 2026, the focus shifts to managing the workload of Ohtani and the aging core.

One major change: the paternity list and bereavement leave will see increased usage. The Dodgers have one of the youngest coaching staffs in baseball, and many players are starting families. In 2025, the team had four paternity list stints. In 2026, expect that number to rise to six or seven. These are short-term absences (1-3 days), but they still require roster moves and can disrupt lineup continuity.

Another evolution: the family medical emergency list has become more common across MLB. The Dodgers are a player-first organization, and they will not hesitate to grant leave for personal reasons. While we hope these stints are rare, they are a reality of modern baseball. This tracker will note every single one, because every roster move matters.

Finally, the Dodgers are likely to experiment with “phantom IL” stints more aggressively. This is when a player is placed on the IL retroactively to create a roster spot for a minor leaguer without actually losing the player for extra games. It’s a loophole the Dodgers have exploited in the past, and I expect them to use it at least five times in 2026 to shuttle fresh arms in and out of the bullpen.

Predictions for the 2026 Dodgers IL Tracker: What to Expect

Based on historical trends, roster construction, and the inevitable randomness of baseball injuries, here are my expert predictions for the 2026 Dodgers IL tracker:

• Total IL stints: 32-36. This will be slightly higher than 2024 and 2025, driven by Ohtani’s scheduled rest and the aging core.
• Longest IL stint: A starting pitcher (likely Glasnow or a young arm) will miss 60+ days with a forearm or elbow issue. The Dodgers will downplay it as “tightness,” but it will be a significant blow.
• Most surprising IL stint: Will Smith, the ironman catcher, will finally land on the IL for the first time in his career. Catchers break down. Smith has been remarkably durable, but a 10-day stint for “back spasms” is inevitable.
• Paternity list leader: Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman. Both are family men, and both are likely to take a few days off for the birth of a child. It’s a human moment that affects the lineup.
• Bereavement leave: One player will miss 3-7 days for a family loss. It’s impossible to predict who, but the Dodgers will handle it with class.
• Family medical emergency list: At least one player will use this, likely for a child or parent’s health issue. The Dodgers have a strong support system in place.

Remember: this tracker is a living document. Bookmark it. Refresh it. Every time you see a transaction notification, come here to understand the full context. The 2026 Dodgers season will be a marathon, and the IL tracker is your mile marker for every twist and turn.

Conclusion: The IL Tracker as a Championship Barometer

In the end, the Dodgers’ 2026 season will not be defined by who lands on the injured list, but by how they respond when they do. The front office has built a machine designed to absorb losses. The farm system is stocked with interchangeable parts. The coaching staff is elite at keeping players fresh. But even the best machine needs a monitor.

This Dodgers 2026 injured list tracker is more than a list of dates and diagnoses. It’s a window into the soul of a franchise that has turned adversity into an art form. Every 10-day stint for a position player, every 15-day absence for a pitcher, every paternity leave and bereavement day—they all add up to a story of survival. The Dodgers have lost 28, 34, and 28 players to the IL in recent years. They’ve still won division titles and made deep playoff runs.

So when you see the first IL move of 2026—whether it’s a star like Ohtani or a reliever nobody has heard of—don’t panic. Take a breath. Check this tracker. Understand the context. And remember: the Dodgers are not just playing the game. They are playing the long game. The IL tracker is your guide to every move they make along the way. Stay tuned, because in Los Angeles, the only thing more certain than a sunset is another roster transaction.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.