Major League Baseball’s 10-day injured list allows a team to temporarily remove an injured position player from its active roster while giving that player time to recover. Despite the name, a player does not automatically return after 10 days — 10 days is simply the minimum amount of time he must remain on the list.
The rule also gives teams important roster flexibility because the injured player no longer occupies a spot on the active roster, allowing the club to bring in another player while he recovers.
What Is MLB’s 10-Day Injured List?
The 10-day injured list is MLB’s standard injured list for position players. When a position player is placed on it, he is removed from his team’s active Major League roster for at least 10 days.
The player remains on the organization’s 40-man roster during that time. [MLB]
That means a team can replace the injured player on the active roster without removing him from the organization or exposing him to waivers.
Is The 10-Day Injured List For Pitchers?
No. MLB’s 10-day injured list is currently reserved for position players.
Pitchers and players officially designated as two-way players use MLB’s 15-day injured list instead. MLB restored the 15-day minimum for pitchers and two-way players beginning in 2022 while retaining the 10-day list for position players. [MLB]
| Type Of Player/Injury | Standard Injured List |
|---|---|
| Position player | 10-day IL |
| Pitcher | 15-day IL |
| Two-way player | 15-day IL |
| Player with concussion symptoms | 7-day concussion IL |
| Long-term injury | 60-day IL may be used |
MLB also maintains a special seven-day injured list specifically for players experiencing concussion symptoms. [MLB]
Does A Player Have To Miss Exactly 10 Days?
No. Ten days is the minimum, not the maximum.
A player cannot be activated before completing the required minimum period, but he can remain on the 10-day IL for weeks or even months if his injury requires additional recovery time. [MLB]
Teams therefore do not have to activate a player simply because his tenth day has arrived. He must also be healthy enough to return.
Are The 10 Days Calendar Days Or Games?
The injured-list minimum is measured in days, not games.
Off days and days when a team’s game is postponed still count toward the player’s IL period. The rule therefore does not mean that a player must sit out 10 games.
Depending on a team’s schedule, a player could miss fewer or more than 10 actual games during a minimum-length stint.
Can MLB Teams Make A 10-Day IL Move Retroactive?
Yes. A team may backdate a 10-day injured-list placement by as many as three days.
The stint can be made retroactive to after the player’s most recent game appearance, but MLB limits the amount of retroactive credit to three days. [MLB]
For example, suppose a player last appears on June 1 and his team waits several days before officially putting him on the IL. Even if he has not played since June 1, the team cannot backdate the transaction by more than three days.
MLB gives an example in which a player placed on the IL on June 7 can have the move made retroactive to June 4. His minimum 10-day absence would then be calculated from that retroactive date. [MLB]
What Happens To The Team’s Roster When A Player Goes On The 10-Day IL?
The injured player stops occupying an active-roster spot but remains on the 40-man roster.
During most of the regular season, MLB teams carry 26 players on their active roster. Players on the Major League injured list are not counted among those active players. [MLB]
That allows the team to recall another eligible player from the Minor Leagues or otherwise fill the open active-roster position.
However, players on the 10-day, 15-day and seven-day injured lists continue to count against the organization’s 40-man roster. [MLB]
Does A Player On The 10-Day IL Still Get MLB Service Time?
Yes. Time spent on the Major League injured list counts toward a player’s Major League service time.
MLB awards service time for each day a player spends either on the active Major League roster or on the Major League injured list. Service time affects matters including arbitration and free-agent eligibility. [MLB]
Can A Player Go On A Minor League Rehab Assignment While On The IL?
Yes. An injured Major League player can be sent to the Minor Leagues on a rehabilitation assignment before returning to the MLB roster.
For position players, a Minor League rehabilitation assignment can generally last as long as 20 days. Pitchers can spend as many as 30 days on a rehab assignment. [MLB]
The purpose is different from a normal Minor League option. The player is still considered an injured Major Leaguer and can use Minor League games to test his health, rebuild timing and prepare for activation.
A rehab assignment is not required for every injury. A player with a relatively minor problem may simply complete his recovery and be activated once eligible.
What Is The Difference Between The 10-Day IL And 60-Day IL?
The biggest roster difference is that a player on the 10-day IL remains on the 40-man roster, while a player placed on the 60-day IL is temporarily removed from it. [MLB]
| Rule | 10-Day IL | 60-Day IL |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum absence | 10 days | 60 days |
| Primary use | Injured position players | Long-term injuries |
| Counts on active roster? | No | No |
| Counts on 40-man roster? | Yes | No |
| Eligible players | Position players | All players |
The 60-day IL can therefore be valuable when a club needs an additional 40-man roster spot. MLB notes that teams may instead leave an injured position player on the 10-day IL for substantially longer than 10 days if they do not need to clear that 40-man spot. [MLB]
Why Would A Team Put A Player On The 10-Day IL Instead Of Waiting?
The biggest advantage is roster flexibility.
If a player is expected to be unable to play for approximately a week or more, keeping him on the active roster means the team effectively plays with one fewer available player.
Putting him on the 10-day IL opens an active-roster position that can be filled by another player while the injured player recovers. MLB introduced the shorter 10-day format in part to make the injured list more practical for injuries that might not justify the old 15-day minimum for position players. [MLB]
Can A Player Come Off The 10-Day IL Early?
No. Once placed on the 10-day injured list, a player must complete the minimum required period before being activated. [MLB]
A faster-than-expected recovery does not cancel the minimum absence.
This is one reason teams sometimes wait a few days before making an IL decision when an injury initially appears minor. If the player improves quickly, the team may avoid placing him on the list altogether.
Does A Player Automatically Return On Day 10?
No. Becoming eligible to return and actually being activated are two different things.
After the minimum period has been completed, the team can activate the player when doctors, trainers and the club determine that he is ready. If he still needs additional recovery time, he simply remains on the IL. [MLB]
What Was The MLB Disabled List?
The injured list was formerly known as the disabled list, commonly abbreviated as the DL.
MLB changed the terminology after the 2018 season, renaming the seven-day, 10-day and 60-day disabled lists as injured lists. [MLB]
The underlying roster mechanism remained, but fans and teams now use abbreviations such as “10-day IL” instead of “10-day DL.”
When Did MLB Start Using The 10-Day Injured List?
MLB changed the standard minimum injured-list stint from 15 days to 10 days beginning with the 2017 season under the 2017-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement. [MLB]
Pitchers initially used the 10-day system as well, but MLB restored a 15-day injured-list minimum for pitchers and two-way players in 2022. Position players continued to use the 10-day list. [MLB]
MLB 10-Day Injured List FAQ
Who can go on MLB’s 10-day injured list?
The 10-day IL is used for position players. Pitchers and two-way players use the 15-day IL. Players dealing with concussion symptoms have a separate seven-day concussion injured list.
Does a player have to return after 10 days?
No. Ten days is only the minimum absence. A player can remain on the list as long as necessary while recovering.
Does the 10-day IL free a 40-man roster spot?
No. A player on the 10-day IL remains on the team’s 40-man roster. A transfer to the 60-day IL can open a 40-man roster spot.
Does the 10-day IL open an active-roster spot?
Yes. The injured player is removed from the active Major League roster, allowing the club to replace him.
Can the 10-day IL be retroactive?
Yes. MLB permits a 10-day IL placement to be backdated by as many as three days, subject to the player’s most recent game appearance.
Do off days count toward the 10-day IL?
Yes. The minimum is based on calendar days rather than the number of games the team plays.
Can a player play Minor League games while on the MLB injured list?
Yes. MLB players can participate in Minor League rehabilitation assignments while they prepare to return. Position-player rehab assignments can generally last up to 20 days.
What is the simplest way to understand the 10-day IL?
Think of it as a roster exchange: an injured position player gives up his active-roster spot for at least 10 days, the team gets to use that spot on another player, and the injured player remains under team control and on the 40-man roster while recovering.
