1) Player is injured.
2) Team announces injury is minor, describes player as day-to-day.
3) Player announces injury is minor, says he will be back on the field in a couple days.
4) Player doesn’t take the field on the day specified, but says he will definitely not go on the disabled list.
5) Player still sidelined, team expresses optimism a trip to the disabled list won’t be necessary.
6) Player is placed on the disabled list.

There is a similar chain of events once most players are actually placed on the disabled list.