Giants end Dodgers' 3-year run with most injured list days
San Francisco led the majors with 2,379 days lost to the injured list in 2026, taking over the spot the Dodgers had held for three straight seasons.
Why this is trending
ESPN reported on October 6, citing Major League Baseball's year-end numbers, that the San Francisco Giants finished 2026 with more time lost to the injured list than any team in baseball. San Francisco logged 2,379 days on the IL and made 44 placements, both the most in the majors.
That knocked the Los Angeles Dodgers out of a spot nobody wants. The Dodgers had topped the league in lost days in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This year they landed second at 2,318 days, close behind the Giants but no longer first.
San Francisco's hospital wing
The Giants' total was driven by a run of long absences. Right-handers Hayden Birdsong, Randy Rodríguez and Rowan Wick each missed 187 days. José Buttó was out 179 days, Joel Peguero 160 and Jason Foley 109. Outfielder Harrison Bader lost 140 days and left-hander Matt Gage lost 101.
San Francisco's 2,379 days also marked the single biggest year-over-year jump in the league, up 1,630 days from where the team stood before.
The Dodgers got healthy at the right time
Los Angeles made 34 IL placements in 2026, down from 37 in 2025. Their total of 2,318 days was also a drop from 2,585 days in 2025, 2,465 in 2024 and 2,219 in 2023. The Dodgers got healthier heading into the postseason and went on to win their second straight World Series title.
The rest of the league
Leaguewide, injured list days rose to 47,699 in 2026 from 44,372 in 2025 and 43,253 in 2024. Total placements climbed to 854 from 826. Cleveland had the fewest days lost at 470, the fewest placements at 14.
Detroit sat third at 2,216 days, followed by Toronto at 2,206, the Chicago Cubs at 2,160 and Boston at 2,009. St. Louis (606 days, 16 placements), Pittsburgh (768) and Philadelphia (809 days, 19 placements) stayed under 1,000 days alongside Cleveland. Washington made 18 placements.
Beyond the Giants, the Cubs (up 1,080 days), Colorado (up from 707 to 1,873) and Toronto (up from 698 to 2,206) saw the next-largest increases. Cleveland had the steepest drop at 1,041 days, with the Mets (down from 651 to 1,628), Houston (down from 624 to 1,686), Cincinnati (down from 574 to 1,105) and Pittsburgh (down from 567 to 768) also trending down.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.