Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball will now use the term “injured list” instead of “disabled list” so as not to imply people with disabilities cannot play sports. The change is being made at the suggestion of advocacy groups for the disabled.
ESPN first reported the change, and shared a memo that was written by Jeff Pfeifer, MLB’s senior director of league economics and operations, in December.
“In recent years, the commissioner has received several inquiries regarding the name of the ‘Disabled List,'” Pfeifer wrote. “The principal concern is that using the term ‘disabled’ for players who are injured supports the misconception that people with disabilities are injured and therefore are not able to participate or compete in sports. As a result, Major League Baseball has agreed to change the name ‘Disabled List’ to be the ‘Injured List’ at both the major and minor league levels. All standards and requirements for placement, reinstatement, etc., shall remain unchanged. This change, which is only a rebranding of the name itself, is effective immediately.”