Only in baseball can something like this happen. The Dodgers DL salary right now is bigger than 19 teams major league salary. It's bigger than seven teams total payroll. Beginning in 2014 the Dodgers overtook the Yankees for the highest team payroll in baseball and have held the title ever since.
While the money currently on the DL is just barely over that of their 25 man roster it is still an astonishing stat:
Most of that money is tied up in just a few players though. For example, as you can see in the chart below, once (if) Kershaw comes off the DL the two won't be anywhere close to one another:
What's impressive about this stat is how the Dodgers have not only been able to remain competitive, but are actually in first place as of this writing. They have been getting huge contributions from young players such as Julio Urias and Rookie of the Year favorite Corey Seager.
Following a rocky start Urias, who just turned 20, has rebounded to post a season ERA of 3.71 to go along with an even more impressive 3.14 FIP. He is averaging 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Seager, meanwhile, became an all star this year and has hit .315/.375/.532. His 23 home runs are the most ever by a Dodger shortstop. He is a huge part of how the Los Angeles offense has stepped up following the loss of Kershaw.
A healthy Kershaw, despite his playoff woes, would make the Dodgers a serious threat in a loaded National League pennant race. Rich teams are able to afford having huge contracts stashed away on the DL. What works for LA is that they are smart (at least as smart as a team paying Andre Ethier $18 million can be) and are able to supplement their veterans with young, cost controllable stars like Urias and Seager.
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