Last updated: March 20, 2026

Back Injuries in Professional Sports (2026)

Back injuries are among the most tracked in professional sports. Our database contains 3297 recorded back injuries across the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and EPL. The average recovery time is 40 days. Players miss an average of 20 games.

Recovery Statistics

Average Recovery Time: 40 days
Average Games Missed: 20 games
Total Cases in Database: 3297

Back Injuries in the NFL (955)

Average recovery in the NFL: 53 days.

Kei’Trel Clark — Arizona Cardinals — Jan 4, 2027 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (7 days)
Benito Jones — Miami Dolphins — Dec 28, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (14 days)
Jeremy Chinn — Carolina Panthers — Dec 28, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (14 days)
Christian Roland-Wallace — Kansas City Chiefs — Dec 14, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (28 days)
Patrick Jones — Carolina Panthers — Oct 19, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (84 days)
Blake Gillikin — Arizona Cardinals — Oct 12, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (91 days)
Perrion Winfrey — Dallas Cowboys — Sep 14, 2026 → Returned Nov 23, 2026 (70 days)
Johnathan Hankins — Seattle Seahawks — Sep 7, 2026 → Returned Dec 7, 2026 (91 days)
Gavin Bartholomew — Minnesota Vikings — Sep 7, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (126 days)
Nathaniel Watson — Cleveland Browns — Sep 7, 2026 → Returned Jan 11, 2027 (126 days)
De'Von Achane — Miami Dolphins — Mar 18, 2026
Brashard Smith — Kansas City Chiefs — Mar 13, 2026
Jaylen Warren — Pittsburgh Steelers — Mar 13, 2026
Woody Marks — Houston Texans — Mar 11, 2026
Blake Gillikin — Arizona Cardinals — Mar 10, 2026

Back Injuries in the NBA (716)

Average recovery in the NBA: 10 days.

Simone Fontecchio — Miami Heat — Mar 20, 2026
Maxi Kleber — Los Angeles Lakers — Mar 20, 2026
Maxi Kleber — Los Angeles Lakers — Mar 19, 2026
Branden Carlson — Oklahoma City Thunder — Mar 18, 2026
Cade Cunningham — Detroit Pistons — Mar 17, 2026
Branden Carlson — Oklahoma City Thunder — Mar 16, 2026
Bobby Portis — Milwaukee Bucks — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026
Andrew Nembhard — Indiana Pacers — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 12, 2026 (1 days)
Seth Curry — Golden State Warriors — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 14, 2026 (3 days)
Jaxson Hayes — New Orleans Pelicans — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026
Maxi Kleber — Los Angeles Lakers — Mar 11, 2026
Bobby Portis — Milwaukee Bucks — Mar 10, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026
Seth Curry — Golden State Warriors — Mar 10, 2026
Nikola Jovic — Miami Heat — Mar 9, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026
Branden Carlson — Oklahoma City Thunder — Mar 8, 2026

Back Injuries in the MLB (1209)

Average recovery in the MLB: 49 days.

Francisco Alvarez — New York Mets — Mar 20, 2026
Aidan Miller — Philadelphia Phillies — Mar 17, 2026
Merrill Kelly — Arizona Diamondbacks — Mar 14, 2026
Erik Miller — DSL Giants Orange — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026
Richie Palacios — Rays Alternate Training Site — Mar 11, 2026 → Returned Mar 18, 2026 (2 days)
Michael Massey — Kansas City Royals — Mar 10, 2026
Merrill Kelly — Arizona Diamondbacks — Mar 10, 2026
Steven Wilson — Tampa Bay Rays — Mar 2, 2026
Aidan Miller — Philadelphia Phillies — Feb 26, 2026
Corbin Burnes — Arizona Diamondbacks — Feb 15, 2026
A.J. Puk — Arizona Diamondbacks — Feb 15, 2026
Justin Martinez — Arizona Diamondbacks — Feb 14, 2026
Andrew Saalfrank — Arizona Diamondbacks — Feb 10, 2026
Derek Law — Arizona Diamondbacks — Jan 28, 2026
Aaron Holiday — Palm Beach Cardinals — Jan 22, 2026 → Returned Jan 23, 2026 (1 days)

Back Injuries in the EPL (278)

Average recovery in the EPL: 46 days.

Florian Wirtz — Liverpool — Feb 21, 2026 → Returned Mar 4, 2026 (11 days)
Loris Karius — Newcastle United — Feb 20, 2026 (20 days)
Kosta Nedeljkovic — Aston Villa — Feb 19, 2026 (21 days)
Sven Botman — Newcastle United — Feb 17, 2026 → Returned Feb 22, 2026 (5 days)
Frank Anguissa — Fulham — Jan 27, 2026 → Returned Mar 4, 2026 (36 days)
Christos Tzolis — Norwich City — Jan 16, 2026 → Returned Jan 26, 2026 (10 days)
Danny Welbeck — Brighton & Hove Albion — Dec 19, 2025 → Returned Dec 21, 2025 (2 days)
Matthijs de Ligt — Manchester United — Dec 3, 2025 → Returned Dec 4, 2025 (1 days)
Kristoffer Ajer — Brentford — Nov 7, 2025 → Returned Nov 12, 2025 (5 days)
Wout Weghorst — Manchester United — Sep 20, 2025 → Returned Sep 26, 2025 (6 days)
Lukasz Fabianski — West Ham United — Sep 19, 2025 → Returned Sep 20, 2025 (1 days)
Murillo — Nottingham Forest — Sep 13, 2025 → Returned Sep 29, 2025 (16 days)
Caleb Kporha — Crystal Palace — Jul 14, 2025 → Returned Aug 17, 2025 (34 days)
Thibaut Courtois — Chelsea — Jun 1, 2025 → Returned Jun 15, 2025 (14 days)
André Gomes — Everton — May 10, 2025 → Returned May 26, 2025 (16 days)

Back Injuries in the NHL (139)

Average recovery in the NHL: 55 days.

Ryan Ellis — Chicago Blackhawks — Jan 8, 2026
Nils Lundkvist — Dallas Stars — Oct 26, 2025 → Returned Dec 7, 2025 (42 days)
Nico Sturm — Minnesota — Oct 1, 2025 → Returned Nov 23, 2025 (53 days)
Jonathan Drouin — Colorado Avalanche — Oct 1, 2025 → Returned Oct 9, 2025 (8 days)
Colton Parayko — St. Louis Blues — Oct 1, 2025 → Returned Oct 9, 2025 (8 days)
Ryan Ellis — Chicago Blackhawks — Oct 1, 2025 (44 days)
Scott Wedgewood — Colorado Avalanche — Oct 1, 2025 → Returned Oct 7, 2025 (6 days)
Colten Ellis — Buffalo — Oct 1, 2025 → Returned Oct 22, 2025 (21 days)
T.J. Oshie — Washington — Apr 15, 2025 (23 days)
David Perron — Detroit — Oct 1, 2024 → Returned Oct 10, 2024 (9 days)
Patrick Maroon — Edmonton — Oct 1, 2024 → Returned Oct 8, 2024 (7 days)
Marc-Édouard Vlasic — San Jose — Oct 1, 2024 → Returned Jan 2, 2025 (93 days)
Rasmus Dahlin — Buffalo Sabres — Oct 1, 2024 (16 days)
Thatcher Demko — Vancouver Canucks — Oct 1, 2024 → Returned Dec 11, 2024 (71 days)
Craig Smith — Nashville — Oct 1, 2024 (2 days)