Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Jeffrey Christo
Before multi-million-dollar contracts made bubble wrap suits seem reasonable, baseball players found remarkably strange ways to land on the disabled list. These aren’t your ordinary hamstring pulls or rotator cuff tears – these are the injuries that made trainers scratch their heads and managers question their life choices. From household mishaps to video game marathons, here are the most bizarre baseball injuries that could only happen in America’s most peculiar pastime.
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Glenallen Hill’s Spider Nightmare Fall
In 1990, outfielder Glenallen Hill suffered arguably baseball’s most infamous sleep-related injury. During a nightmare about being covered in spiders, Hill sleepwalked right off his bed, tumbled down stairs, and crashed through a glass table. The incident left him covered in cuts and bruises, landing him on the disabled list and earning him the permanent nickname “Spider-Man.”
Joel Zumaya’s Guitar Hero Wrist Injury
During the 2006 ALCS, Tigers’ flamethrower Joel Zumaya mysteriously inflamed his wrist and forearm. The culprit wasn’t his 103 mph fastball – it was too many hours shredding on Guitar Hero. The Tigers had to officially ban their relief pitcher from playing the video game during the playoffs, making it perhaps the only gaming-related injury in MLB history.
Wade Boggs’ Cowboy Boot Tumble
The Hall of Famer once lost his balance while trying to remove his cowboy boots and fell onto his back, bruising his ribs. The incident occurred in 1986 when Boggs was with the Red Sox, proving that even one of baseball’s greatest hitters couldn’t master the art of boot removal.
John Smoltz’s Steamed Shirt
The Braves’ ace decided to steam his shirt to look sharp. But the plan backfired when steam caused his chest to burn, leaving him unable to pitch. The incident sparked a clubhouse rule: no ironing while pitching.
Adam Eaton’s DVD Stabbing Incident
In 2001, Padres pitcher Adam Eaton suffered a horrifying injury. He stabbed himself in the stomach while trying to open a DVD with a paring knife. The incident required two stitches and earned him endless ribbing from teammates who suggested he try using the DVD player’s “eject” button next time.
Sammy Sosa’s Sneeze-Induced Back Spasm
In 2004, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa threw out his back with a violent sneeze in the clubhouse, landing him on the disabled list. The man who once hit 66 home runs in a season was defeated by an allergic reaction, proving that sometimes the biggest threats don’t come from 95 mph fastballs.
Marty Cordova’s Tanning Bed Face Burn
The Orioles outfielder fell asleep in a tanning bed in 2002, burning his face so badly he had to avoid daylight games. In a sport played primarily outdoors, Cordova managed to get too much artificial sun, forcing him to become baseball’s first vampire-outfielder hybrid.
Chris Coghlan’s Pie Celebration Knee Tear
In 2010, Coghlan tore his meniscus while delivering a celebratory shaving cream pie to the face of a teammate after a walk-off win. The injury effectively ended the tradition of post-game pie celebrations for many teams, proving that no victory celebration is truly safe in baseball.
Ken Griffey Jr.’s Home Run Celebration Injury
Even “The Kid” wasn’t immune to bizarre injuries. After hitting his 400th career home run, Griffey Jr. injured his knee during the celebration at home plate. The sweetest swing in baseball was temporarily sidelined by the sweetness of success.
Clint Barmes’ Deer Meat Collarbone Break
In 2005, the Rockies shortstop broke his collarbone while carrying a package of deer meat up stairs. The venison was a gift from Todd Helton, leading to endless jokes about Helton’s secret plot to sabotage his teammate with heavy game meats.
Steve Sparks’ Phone Book Shoulder Dislocation
During 1994 spring training, Sparks attempted to imitate motivational speakers by ripping a phone book in half. Instead of showing off his strength, he dislocated his shoulder, proving that some feats of strength are better left to the professionals.
George Brett’s Laundry Room Incidents
In 1983, Royals star George Brett broke his little toe at home when he rushed from doing laundry to catch his friend Bill Buckner’s at-bat on TV, slamming his foot into a door jamb and landing on the disabled list for three weeks. There’s also a rumor about Brett breaking his nose with a ricocheting diaper in the laundry room, but that story is unsubstantiated. George – don’t do any more laundry!
Kevin Mitchell’s Donut-Induced Tooth Break
Mitchell once chipped his tooth on a frozen donut that he’d put in the microwave. The 1989 NL MVP learned the hard way that even microwaved pastries can fight back, missing several games due to dental work.
Tom Glavine’s Airplane Vomit Rib Break
The Hall of Fame pitcher broke a rib while vomiting on an airplane during a team flight in 1992. Glavine managed to hurt himself doing something everyone fears might happen on a flight, though few expect it to result in a broken bone.
Rickey Henderson’s Frostbitten Feet in August
The legendary basestealer once got frostbite in August from falling asleep with an ice pack on his foot. Henderson, known for speaking about himself in the third person, probably said “Rickey doesn’t like the cold” after this peculiar incident.
Brian Anderson’s Iron Burn to the Face
Anderson checked to see if his iron was hot by touching it to his face. The Diamondbacks pitcher learned the hard way that there are better methods for testing an iron’s temperature, like using the water spritz button. Anderson had a string of weird injuries, including a sprained finger when applying cologne.
Clarence Blethen’s False Teeth Baseball Bite
In 1923, Blethen removed his false teeth while pitching to look more intimidating. He forgot to put them back in before batting, and while sliding into second base, his own teeth – which he’d stored in his back pocket – bit him in the behind. Probably the least likely to ever occur again!
Cal Ripken Jr.’s All-Star Photo Day Nose Break
The Iron Man of baseball broke his nose during a team photo session when Roberto Hernandez lost his balance and accidentally elbowed Ripken in the face. Even baseball’s most durable player wasn’t immune to the dangers of photo day.
Nolan Ryan’s Coyote Bite Incident
The legendary Nolan Ryan once showed up to spring training with a coyote bite. The Hall of Famer was doing ranch work at his Texas home when he had to separate a coyote and his pet dog during a fight. Even wild animals couldn’t escape the Ryan Express’s famous grip. That coyote probably got the same treatment as Robin Ventura.