The sports world has its own language, and knowing it helps you better understand the game (and your fantasy team!). For example, have you ever set your fantasy baseball lineup and seen ‘DTD’ next to your best player’s name? Usually in all caps and a big, red font? What does “DTD” mean in baseball?
“DTD” is an abbreviation that means “day-to-day”. Players listed as DTD are usually dealing with an injury, but the injury is not severe enough for them to be placed on the injury list. A player on the day-to-day list is still on the team’s active roster.
Injuries are common in all sports, and when a player is injured or sick, it affects several aspects of the game, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are unable to play. Keep reading to learn when a player can be listed as DTD and how they can still be useful in games.
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Players Tagged as DTD are Evaluated Daily
When a player gets hurt on the field, the first thing they need is medical attention. The medical professional is the one to assess the damage to determine whether the injury is severe or not. Additionally, injuries are different – some take longer to heal than others.
Putting a player on DTD means the medical staff cannot determine when a player can get back in the game. However, the injured player is under daily medical supervision to see whether they are fit to play, and this can happen at any time.
In fantasy baseball, a player is tagged DTD when they are out or benched because of an injury. Sometimes there might be a lag in information as teams have to wait for the injury report to know whether a player has been added to the injury list or not.
The injury list in fantasy baseball is updated daily depending on the data received. There is usually a gap between when a team announces a player being moved to the injury list and when it actually happens online.
What is the Difference Between Day-to-Day (DTD) and the Injured List (IL)?
The injured list (IL), formerly known as a disabled list (DL), is a list of MLB players who are not on the roster because of long-term injuries. If a player is on the injury list, they are unavailable to play, leaving an open spot on the roster.
On the other hand, players designated as DTD have minor injuries and they are expected to resume their roles within a few days. Players listed as day-to-day (DTD) are still active on the team’s roster.
Since 2021, the default number of IL slots in fantasy baseball is three (this number varies wildly from league to league), but there are not any slots for players listed as DTD.
Can a Player Tagged DTD be Put on the Injury List?
In fantasy baseball, players tagged DTD are considered healthy, meaning they are not eligible for the IL list. If a player’s injury gets worse, they have the potential to be placed on the IL. Players eligible for the IL slot are tagged as out or on the 10/60-day injury list.
You cannot add new players to your roster when a player is listed as DTD. However, when a player is downgraded from the DTD to IL, you can add players, adjust your lineups and make claims as usual while that player is still on the IL list.
Should You Draft ‘IL’ Players or Grab a ‘DTD’ Player Off of the Waiver Wire?
Predicting injury is a useful skill to have when drafting players for your fantasy team. However, whether a DTD player is worth the risk ultimately depends on your drafting strategy and risk tolerance.
I believe the best way to predict injury is to know a player’s history with injuries. For example, it’s common for many players in the league to finish the year on the IL.
What should you do next year on draft day? Draft them as high as you would have last year, or let someone else take the chance.
It is really a game of Russian roulette in this situation because you can only do so much when predicting injury.
To know whether a player is worth the risk, you should first check their injury report. The information will have significant details like players’ names, dates, and type of injury. When you know the severity and date of injury, you can estimate how long it will take for your star player to recover.
If a star player starts the season on the 60-day injured list, you can draft and stash him on the IL to start the season. When he’s healthy enough to rejoin the roster, simply remove him from the IL list later to play the rest of the season (hopefully). You can also choose a safer or healthier player on the 10-day IL list, but you have to consider whether they are prone to additional injuries.
If a good player is tagged DTD but is often injured, it might not be the best choice to use a draft pick or waiver claim. These players are more prone to serious injuries and could miss the rest of the season. The only way to know if an injury risk is worth it is during the game. Players might surprise you, and you will be proud of taking the risk to pick them up.
Otherwise, it all depends on strategy and pure luck. Such is the game of fantasy baseball!
When Can a DTD Player Get Back in the Game?
Although a player on DTD is considered healthy, they remain under daily medical supervision to determine when they can get back on the field.
The exact date is usually unknown because if the doctor says the player is healthy enough to play, he can be put on the roster immediately. Therefore, a player on DTD can play as soon as he is declared fit, which can happen at any time.
For that reason, ‘DTD’ might just be the most frustrating injury designation in fantasy baseball! Especially in September after team rosters expand. When roster sizes are larger, MLB teams may choose to rest their best players and give recent call-ups their chance at the big leagues. This is more common for teams with no chance of making the playoffs.
This leaves fantasy baseball managers wondering what to do with DTD players. Do you drop your best player (stuck in DTD purgatory) or cross your fingers that he’ll play tomorrow?
