At long last, pitchers and catchers have begun reporting for the 2025 MLB season.
The Chicago Cubs (Feb. 9) and Los Angeles Dodgers (Feb. 11) — who are set to open the 2025 regular season against each other in Tokyo on March 18-19 — were the first to call their players into camp. The rest of the league will follow suit throughout the week.
And, while it might not be glamorous, the beginning of the new league year also enables front offices to access a previously-unavailable roster tool that allows for some late-winter roster shuffling: the 60-day IL.
The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Unlike the regular IL, which lasts for 10 days (for position players) or 15 days (for pitchers), the 60-day IL removes players from both the active 26-man roster and the team's 40-man roster until the player is ready to return to big league action.
Why the 60-day IL matters so much to MLB teams
Of course, at this point in the offseason, most teams have full 40-man rosters. The long-term IL can help alleviate roster crunches in the immediate term, or allow teams to sign additional players without having to DFA or trade others from their 40-man roster.
One quirk of the long-term IL is that, while teams can place players on it as soon as pitchers and catchers report, the days don't start ticking down until Opening Day. Therefore, a team is only going to place a player on the 60-day IL if it believes that player will be out until the end of May, at least.
It is also worth noting that teams can only access the 60-day IL once their 40-man roster is full. So, the San Diego Padres, who currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster, cannot place Joe Musgrove (out for 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day IL until they add two more players to their 40-man roster.
MLB Trade Rumor's Darragh McDonald wrote up a comprehensive list of players who feasibly could be placed on the 60-day IL once teams have access to it. Some of the more notable names on the list are below.
Notable 60-day IL candidates for 2025 season
Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
Joe Musgrove | SP | Padres |
Patrick Sandoval | SP | Red Sox |
Ha-Seong Kim | INF | Rays |
Jonathan Loísaga | RP | Yankees |
Brusdar Graterol | RP | Dodgers |
Gavin Stone | SP | Dodgers |
David Fry | DH | Guardians |
For a pragmatic example on the importance of the 60-day IL: the Dodgers have an agreement with free agent Enrqiue Hernandez (and may be nearing one with Clayton Kershaw). If they place Graterol and Stone on the 60-day IL, they won't have to make any other procedural moves (like a DFA or a trade) in order to make room for Hernandez and Kershaw.
Many of the upcoming 60-day IL announcements are mere formalities, and many will fly under the radar of fans. You'd be wise not to discount their importance as teams look to finalize their rosters ahead of the 2025 regular season.