Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move these days. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Per R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, most clubs have a report date of February 12th or 13th. The Cubs and Dodgers are a bit earlier than most, on the 9th and 11th, respectively. That’s due to the fact that those clubs are heading to Tokyo, with exhibition games in mid-March, followed by regular season games against each other on March 18th and 19th. All the other teams have Opening Day scheduled for March 27th.
It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until end of May or later. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.
There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, as well as Nick Pivetta, Andrew Heaney, David Robertson, Randal Grichuk, Kenley Jansen, Harrison Bader, Lance Lynn, Jose Quintana and many more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together in the next week or so. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment.
Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time and could find themselves transferred soon.
Angels: Robert Stephenson
Stephenson underwent a hybrid Tommy John surgery with internal brace in late April. Given the 14-plus months required to recovery from such a procedure, he’s not likely to be ready in the early parts of the 2025 season.
Astros: Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Bennett Sousa
Javier underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is targeting a return in the second half of 2025. France is recovering from shoulder surgery and hoping to return in July. Sousa’s timeline is less clear but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in April. Other possibilities include Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., who are expected to start the season on the IL but returning in April or May still seems possible.
Athletics: Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk
Medina underwent Tommy John surgery in August and Waldichuk in May. Medina might miss the entire season while Waldichuk is likely to miss a few months at least.
Blue Jays: Angel Bastardo, Alek Manoah
The Jays grabbed Bastardo from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft in December, even though he had Tommy John surgery in June. Manoah also had Tommy John around that time and is hoping to be back by August.
Braves: Joe Jiménez
Jimenez had knee surgery in November with a timeline of eight to twelve months, so he might miss the entire season. Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are also possibilities, though those will be more borderline. Strider had internal brace surgery in April, so returning in May is somewhat possible. Acuña is recovering from a torn ACL last year and it’s possible he’ll miss the first month or so of the season. Given how important both of those players are, Atlanta probably won’t put them on the 60-day IL unless it’s 100% certain that they can’t come back in the first 60 days of the season.
Brewers: Robert Gasser
Gasser had Tommy John surgery in June and will be looking at a late 2025 return even in a best-case scenario.
Diamondbacks: Kyle Nelson
Nelson’s timeline is unclear, but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in May and missed the remainder of the 2024 season.
Dodgers: Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Emmet Sheehan
Stone underwent shoulder surgery in October that will cause him to miss the entire year. Graterol also underwent shoulder surgery and isn’t expected back until the second half of 2025. Each of Ryan, Hurt and Sheehan required Tommy John surgery in 2024: Ryan in August, Hurt in July and Sheehan in May.
Guardians: Sam Hentges, David Fry, Shane Bieber, Trevor Stephan
Hentges required shoulder surgery in September, with an expected recovery timeline of 12 to 14 months. Fry underwent UCL surgery in November with a more fluid timeline. He won’t be able to throw at all in 2025 but could be cleared for designated hitter action six to eight months from that surgery. Bieber is perhaps a borderline case, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April. Given his importance, the Guards may not transfer him to the 60-day IL until it’s assured that he won’t be back in the first 60 days of the season. Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery in March and perhaps has a chance to avoid the 60-day IL, depending on his progression.
Mariners: Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar
Brash underwent Tommy John surgery in May. Given the typical 14-month recovery timeline from that procedure, he would be looking at a midsummer return. However, it was reported in November that he’s ahead of schedule and could be back by the end of April. That’s an optimistic timeline but the Mariners will probably hold off moving him to the 60-day IL until the door is closed to an early return. Kowar underwent Tommy John in March, so an early return in 2025 is possible for him, depending on how his recovery is going.
Marlins: Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez
Garrett just underwent UCL surgery last month and is going to miss the entire 2025 season. Pérez underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last year and will miss at least part of the beginning of the 2025 campaign.
Mets: Christian Scott
Scott required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in September and will likely miss the entire 2025 season.
Nationals: Josiah Gray, Mason Thompson
Gray required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in July, meaning he’ll miss most or perhaps all of the 2025 season. Thompson required Tommy John surgery in March, so he has a better chance to make an early-season return if his recovery is going well.
Orioles: Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells
Bradish and Wells each required UCL surgery in June, so they’re both slated to miss the first half of the upcoming campaign.
Padres: Joe Musgrove
Musgrove had Tommy John surgery in October and will therefore miss the entire 2025 season. However, the Padres only have 36 guys on their 40-man roster at the moment, so they’ll need to fill those spots before moving Musgrove to the 60-day IL.
Pirates: Dauri Moreta
Moreta required UCL surgery in March, so an early-season return is possible if his rehab is going well, though he could end up on the 60-day if the club goes easy with his ramp-up or he suffers any kind of setback.
Rangers: Josh Sborz
Sborz underwent shoulder surgery in November and is expected to miss the first two to three months of the upcoming season.
Rays: Nate Lavender, Ha-Seong Kim
The Rays took Lavender from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft, even though he had Tommy John in May and will miss the start of the season. Kim’s status is more up in the air after he had shoulder surgery in October. Various reports have suggested he could return anywhere from April to July. The Rays made a sizable investment in Kim, their largest ever for a position player, so they probably won’t shelve him until they get more clarity on his status.
Red Sox: Patrick Sandoval, Garrett Whitlock, Chris Murphy
Sandoval had internal brace surgery in June of last year and should miss the first half of the season. Whitlock had the same surgery in May, so he could have a bit of a better chance to return in the first 60 days of the season. Murphy underwent a fully Tommy John surgery in April and will certainly miss the beginning of the upcoming season. Another possibility is Lucas Giolito, who had internal brace surgery in March, though he expects to be ready by Opening Day.
Reds: Julian Aguiar, Brandon Williamson
Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery in October and Williamson in September, so both are likely slated to miss the entire 2025 season.
Tigers: Sawyer Gipson-Long
Gipson-Long underwent internal brace surgery in April. On top of that, he underwent left hip labral repair surgery in July, with the club hoping to address both issues at the same time. It seems likely that he’ll miss some of the early 2025 schedule, but his IL placement will depend on how he’s been progressing.
White Sox: Jesse Scholtens
Scholtens underwent Tommy John surgery in early March. Whether he goes on the 60-day IL or not will depend on how he’s progressed since then and when the White Sox expect him back.
Yankees: Jonathan Loáisiga
Loáisiga underwent internal brace surgery in April, so he could potentially be back on the mound early in the 2025 season. It was reported in December that the Yankees are expecting him to be in the bullpen by late April or early May, so he’ll only end up on the 60-day IL if he suffers a bit of a setback.
Kershaw LAD once he signs after camp opens.
Roll will eventually land one of the other spots.
But that still leaves potentially three more options
Kike Hernandez is also waiting.
I came here to say that as well. At this point, he might as well wait. Put a guy on 60-day IL, sign Kershaw, move to 60-day IL, sign Hernandez.
And the Dodgers are in the lead and yet another category. Lol.
I will pay a large sum of money for the Dodgers to sign Arte Moreno.
When will you pay?
cobb – Astros are second, Red Sox third which means they win the IL WildCard …. wooo hooo!!
BTW – Baseball Prospectus has gotten so bad, they have Houck projected as the #5 Starting Pitcher on the Red Sox ….. just another example of bad and/or misused data leading to bad projections.
The Giant’s Keaton Winn is a strong possibility to open the season on the 60 day IL. The only other candidate I can think of is Tom Murphy. If he is anything less than 100% he be 60 day’d then can rehab in the minors when eligible.
Murphy has had almost an entire year to recuperate and still hasn’t. I wonder if this is the end of his career.
Have heard nothing on his rehab.
Where did you hear he hasn’t ?
Murphy optimistic that the rest of the treatment will meet its estimated timeline, too. He expects to be fully recovered when pitchers and catchers report to Arizona in February.
Mercury News article above.
I don’t think murphy will be on the 60 day – I think they are stuck with that roster spot
Has winn had setbacks ?
It was initially a 2month recovery. Had surgery in July.
Ulnar nerve transposition surgery is way less significant than ulnar nerve transplant, so you’re likely correct.
That it does. Def sounds longer than the reported 2 months. It was 7 months ago so fingers crossed .
Anyone the Dodgers are looking to stash that doesn’t fit on the opening day roster
What a ridiculous take
I guess all those guys had surgery just for fun
I am surprised Grichuk is still a free agent, unless he is holding out for something longer/bigger. He is perfectly cromulent. He is not an allstar by any stretch but I would take him back on the Jays, their OF is so bad still, even with the addition of Santander. I mean this is only if he takes a 1 year deal and the jays are “trying for the playoffs” over development.
Giants could use him too under the contract you suggest.
I was hoping to sign him, trade Ward for AA level prospects, and move Trout to left.
I’m also surprised he’s out there.
“cromulent” overused
Fact. Pseudo intellectual.
It’s a Simpson’s reference. If that counts as pseudo intellectual. Or just trying to embiggen your vocabulary.
It’s overused. The end.
@Lindor’s Bodyguard,
Pot, meet kettle.
Angels crushed it with the Stephenson signing. And keeping Tyler Anderson at the deadline? *chef’s kiss*
But at least we got a haul for Ohtani before he went across town and won a title.
Oh, wait.
You guys would’ve been hamstrung for another decade if he hadn’t left. Shohei had this deferral plan set up, and he offered it to Moreno, but he declined, and ultimately I think it’s because he wants to sell the team. I think ‘25 is going to be an improvement from ‘24, but let’s see where they are after the 2nd pick in the draft this year. I kinda want to see them tank again this year, so they can get another shot at the draft lottery again in ‘26, while they get further away from the Rendon and Trout contracts. I don’t see a lot of Angels that have realized they are in the rebuild that they’ve so desperately needed. Arte won’t say it, he does have tickets to sell, but that is what’s happening. I think the sting from losing Shohei goes away with those two awful, maybe even the two worst contracts in the game are gone as well. You can deal with Trout, and hopefully he actually spend more than 1/4 of the season on the active roster. But the Halos are kinda screwed until at least one of those contracts are gone.
Wonder how many of those players are on a 1st year deal.
Tigers need to put Torkelsons bat on the disabled list!
That would be an upgrade. It’s currently on life support.
Didn’t the Mets sign someone to a two-year low salary deal who is going to miss this season?
I found my own answer, Adbert Alzolay. He should be listed above.
I see that Alzolay’s deal is a minor league one, so I’m mistaken.
We don’t have a baseball problem. We have a Tommy John problem here.
Help me, I can’t find Byron Buxton on this list. Strange.
Dodgers opening in Japan.
Just what they need to develop a fan base.
Other than sasaki suggestion on tj i think that’s what’s keeping him on mlb roster today vs down till may on the hype train.
It’s overall good for the game. There’s nothing stopping other teams from setting this up.
Not against the Japan game I’m all for globalization. My point is I think there’s a lot of substance to sasaki coming over now locking a contract before getting hurt and taking a stab at mlb earning outside of his signing status today
who is to say Sasaki will not need a TJ this year or next ? It’s just been all too common. We are yet to see Ohtani throw a pitch after his 2nd TJ. Pitching has become a gamble.
He’s already been advised. I think when it comes to earning power that’s a real underlying tell why he came over now on contract. If he gets hurt overseas he may never see mob money. Now that he’s here it’s kind of hard not to take the flyer in the event afterwords or at the Dodgers disposal. But he’s going to be pitching regardless.
Anyone in the Tommy John business must be loving life right now.
Jeez.
So they were injured BEFORE the end of last season and unable to WORK, but then they magically healed once the season ended, but during the course of the off-season, they are once again injured and unable to perform for their employers so once Spring Training begins they are all INJURED once again. Whether a player is injured or not is not dependent upon the yearly calendar, nor does it have any basis on the MLB Calendar.
Yet another antiquated MLB rule well past the time to be updated.
I couldn’t agree more. It really, really affects team rosters to be forced to take players OFF of the 60 day DL during the off season. I wonder how many unnecessary DFA’s are the end result??
The flip side is that this can be good for fringe players to get better opportunities and it can hurt stacked teams with too many good players.
Lance McCullers Jr? Return? Dude owns property on the IL.
This sounds like expert testimony.
I did, and I was entertained. Thank you for noticing!!!
Should Sandy Alcantara be on this list?
@ LB. No, Sandy is ready for Spring Training
Is this the yankees plan to sign a lefty? Tim hill salary = loogy time on shelf covered by insurance? sign tim hill and sign chafin or beeks as well for your 2nd lefty. Why they are at it sign bregman offer 2 year 50 mill with option deffer some $… let’s go. Pitchers and catchers next week
If a player is put on the 60-day IL at the start of ST, wouldn’t the player be eligible to return in April?
No. They can be taken off the 40-man roster but the 60 day count starts when the season starts.
In the current 40-man roster, Dodgers have 5 guys who will end p at 6-day IL, and another 5 not expected to be ready when spring training starts. That’s 25% of the roster. A quarter of the roster is injured, and yet the “dodgers are stacked, unfair, signing everybody” comments are everywhere.
There’s always the chance/risk that Tyler O’Neill injures himself when he’s unboxed once he arrives at Spring Training. The key is to open the box from the bottom and just lift. This will spill all the peanut styrofoam all over the floor, but it usually insures that O’Neill doesn’t shatter. Next it’s an adventure just unraveling the 5 layers of bubble wrap. CAUTION: Don’t lay him on the ground and roll him….this is reckless and will probably cause his hip to dislocate.
Once he’s totally unraveled, get him into his bubble as soon as possible.
I hope the UPS drivers in Sarasota, Florida, handle him with care
How about Javy Baez? I’m betting on 60 days atleast
Perfect! Put Medina and Waldichuck on the 60 day to clear some room and sign at least one more upgrade to the roster. Medina is probably out all year but Waldy should be back in the summer.