The 2026 baseball season is turning into a war of attrition, with a record-breaking 601 players currently sitting on injured lists across all 30 Major League Baseball teams. This is the highest total of the year, highlighting the severe physical toll the dense summer schedule is taking on players.

Team Injury Rankings

According to a severity-adjusted ranking system released by RotoWire, the Toronto Blue Jays are currently the most damaged team in baseball. Instead of just counting total players, the scoring model assigns point values based on how long a player is out. A 60-day IL stint equals five points, a 10- or 15-day stint is three points, a 7-day is two points, and a day-to-day designation is one point.

Under this system, Toronto leads the league with a severity score of 105. The Blue Jays have a staggering 17 players parked on the 60-day IL, which is a league record. Key rotation pieces like Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios are out long-term, meaning the team is missing two of its top three starting pitchers. Elbow problems are the main culprit in Toronto, accounting for 12 of their 27 total injuries.

Right behind them are the Detroit Tigers with a score of 103. Detroit is trying to survive without 15 players on the 60-day IL, a list that includes pitcher Jackson Jobe and infielder Javier Baez. The Tigers are dealing with a frustrating mix of chronic long-term absences and a constantly rotating cast of short-term injuries.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest jump in the latest injury update. The Dodgers vaulted into seventh place overall with an 86-point score. Having 13 players on the 60-day IL is the highest mark Los Angeles has carried all season, creating a serious roster crunch for a team usually known for its deep bench. Five of those 60-day entries are for undisclosed reasons, which makes predicting return timelines difficult.

The Baltimore Orioles also remain heavily impacted, sitting in sixth place with a score of 89. Baltimore has 27 total players sidelined. The team is still waiting on All-Star closer Felix Bautista to recover from Tommy John surgery, and Dean Kremer just joined him on the crowded 60-day list alongside Zach Eflin and Heston Kjerstad. Out in Arizona, the Diamondbacks are dealing with their own massive setback, as losing Corbin Burnes to an elbow injury continues to be one of the most impactful individual losses in the sport this year.

League-Wide Injury Trends

Looking at the league as a whole, elbow issues are by far the biggest problem. There are currently 167 active elbow injuries. Undisclosed ailments are the second-most common category, with 120 cases.

However, the most noticeable recent trend is a sudden spike in hamstring strains. Hamstring injuries just jumped to 28 cases, marking a new season high. This kind of soft-tissue spike is a common mid-season trend when the weather gets hot and player fatigue peaks. Shoulder injuries also remain high at 74 cases across the league, while forearm strains sit at 18.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.