In the unforgiving marathon that is a Major League Baseball season, few teams navigate the physical toll on players with as much consistency and strategy as the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the past decade, they have not only remained perennial contenders, but they have also managed to keep many of their star players fresh and impactful during the most critical months of the year. While many organizations falter under the weight of injuries and fatigue, the Dodgers have built a medical and rehabilitation infrastructure that appears to operate at a level well beyond the league average. Analysts and fans alike have taken notice of this systemic advantage, including Sam Coquillard, who highlighted the integration of performance science, front-office management, and player buy-in as the core pillars of this success.
Injury Prevention as a Long-Term Investment
The Dodgers’ injury management strategy begins not with treatment, but with prevention. Their commitment to injury mitigation begins in spring training, where every player’s biomechanics, muscle symmetry, and workload tolerance are analyzed using high-tech tools and performance science. Each player essentially receives a personalized injury-risk profile that helps shape everything from pitch counts to gym routines. This proactive approach informs how players train, recover, and even how they play defensively or on the basepaths.
Pitchers, particularly, benefit from this emphasis on prevention. The Dodgers track throwing mechanics using motion capture and stress analysis to identify early signs of fatigue or altered delivery. These early warning systems allow the team to make subtle workload adjustments long before an official diagnosis is required. By managing rest proactively rather than reactively, they avoid the snowball effect that a minor twinge can become.
The same applies to position players. The Dodgers use force plates, GPS tracking, and real-time fatigue metrics to measure sprint load, deceleration patterns, and rotational effort. Players whose metrics deviate from healthy norms are flagged for recovery protocols, potentially including off days, lighter workloads, or targeted strength work. This is not guesswork. It is a daily, dynamic process.
The Role of the Injured List as a Strategic Tool
In recent years, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for using the Injured List (IL) more strategically than most teams. While some might view it as controversial, their approach has helped prevent overexertion and ensure peak availability at season-defining moments. By placing players on the 10-day IL for minor tweaks, inflammation, or soft tissue concerns, they allow full healing to take place rather than rushing players back prematurely.
This calculated use of the IL also enables the Dodgers to cycle through their deep roster more efficiently. When a player is temporarily shelved, their replacement often provides capable, if not standout, performance. It’s a philosophy built not just on medical data, but also on an exceptional depth chart developed through scouting and player development. As a result, there’s minimal drop-off in on-field performance, and the player returning from injury often performs better than if they’d played through discomfort.
The transparency and trust between the players and medical staff are crucial in this model. Dodgers players reportedly have confidence in the process, understanding that short-term rests or IL stints are part of a bigger picture: being healthy and sharp in October. The absence of panic when a key player is sidelined is a testament to the trust that permeates the organization.
Rehab That Mirrors Game Conditions
One of the more innovative aspects of the Dodgers’ rehab approach is the focus on replicating real game conditions. Rather than allowing players to simply recover passively, they are reintroduced to baseball activity in controlled environments that mirror the stress and unpredictability of actual competition.
For pitchers, this might mean facing live batters in high-pressure simulated innings that mimic the tempo, fatigue, and situational tension of a regular game. For hitters, return-to-play protocols often include facing high-velocity pitching machines, fielding aggressive grounders, and performing full-speed base running—all before a rehab assignment is even considered. This ensures that by the time a player re-enters a live game, they are not only physically healed but baseball-ready.
These simulations are informed by data. Metrics such as exit velocity, sprint speed, reaction time, and rotational efficiency are all compared against each player’s baseline established in prior seasons. Only when those benchmarks are met—or surpassed—are players given the green light to return.
Integration Across Departments
What sets the Dodgers apart is not just the sophistication of their rehab process but the seamless integration between departments. Medical staff, trainers, analytics teams, and coaching staff work in a coordinated fashion. Everyone has access to the same data and is part of the same conversation.
For example, a pitcher returning from a forearm strain might work with biomechanics specialists to refine mechanics that reduce stress on the affected area, while strength coaches monitor his recovery and performance conditioning. Meanwhile, the analytics team uses historical data and predictive models to assess how his current velocity, spin rate, and release point compare to pre-injury norms. All this information funnels into coaching decisions about how the player is re-integrated into the roster, what pitch counts are appropriate, and what opponents best match his current arsenal.
This level of integration requires infrastructure. The Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility is equipped with cutting-edge training, rehab, and monitoring equipment. More importantly, it’s staffed by a team of professionals who communicate clearly and frequently. The team’s medical director, performance coaches, and even front office executives are aligned in philosophy. This cohesion reduces confusion, mixed signals, or conflicting goals that can often plague less coordinated organizations.
Success Stories and Competitive Advantage
The Dodgers’ ability to bring back players from injury with minimal performance decline has become a competitive advantage. Max Muncy, who suffered a left knee bone bruise in early July and was slated to be out for six weeks will begin a rehab assignment the week of July 27th and return ahead of schedule – a perfect example of the recovery system working as designed. Similarly, Clayton Kershaw’s ability to adapt to reduced velocity while maintaining effectiveness is as much about rehab and conditioning as it is about pitching intellect.
In the 2020 season—albeit a shortened one—the Dodgers navigated multiple minor injuries with a next-man-up mentality. Not only did this allow them to finish with the best record in baseball, but it also meant they entered the postseason healthier than most competitors. The same applied to the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where their record of IL use and player reactivation remained among the most efficient in the league.
It’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean the Dodgers are immune to devastating injuries.
Like all teams, they have lost players to season-ending ailments. But their recovery rates, return-to-play timelines, and post-injury performance are consistently among the best in baseball. That track record builds player confidence, attracts free agents who prioritize health infrastructure, and sets a standard that other teams are now trying to emulate.
Future Implications and Evolution
Looking ahead, the Dodgers appear poised to continue refining this model. The integration of wearable technology, real-time biometric monitoring, and AI-driven recovery forecasts are already in development across MLB. But the Dodgers, with their resources and commitment to innovation, are likely to be early adopters and leaders in applying these tools.
Their success has also inspired a shift in how other teams think about injury management. Organizations now recognize that training rooms and medical decisions aren’t just support structures—they’re crucial assets. In this fashion, the Dodgers have turned addressing injury early into a strategic advantage.
The question of whether the Dodgers have the best rehab pipeline in baseball isn’t just rhetorical. Based on results, player confidence, and institutional investment, there’s a strong case to be made. While fans may never cheer for a well-run MRI or a biomechanical assessment, the impact of those moments can be seen in the standings, year after year. The Dodgers have redefined what it means to be proactive in a sport that often punishes passivity—and it’s no coincidence that their healthiest players often shine when the spotlight is brightest.