Baseball Injury Prevention

It is now officially baseball season! Today we will review ways to minimize the risk of overuse injuries that can come with a long baseball season.

Overuse injuries — especially those related to the UCL and shoulder—are preventable. Some tips to keep you in the game throughout your life include:

• Warm up properly by stretching, running, and easy, gradual throwing
• Rotate playing other positions besides pitcher
• Concentrate on age-appropriate pitches
• Adhere to pitch count guidelines, such as those established by Little League Baseball or MLB
• Avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons
• Don’t pitch with elbow or shoulder pain, if the pain persists, see a doctor
• Don’t pitch on consecutive days
• Don’t play year-round
• Never use a radar gun
• Communicate regularly about how your arm is feeling and if there is pain
• Emphasize control, accuracy, and good mechanics
• Master the fastball first and the change-up second, before considering breaking pitches
• Speak with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about baseball injuries or baseball injury prevention strategies

Pitching Guidelines According to the MLB:

• Do not exceed ______ in a 12 month period:

• • 60 combined innings (Ages 8 & under)
  • 80 combined innings (Ages 9-12)
  • 100 combined innings (Ages 13-18)

• Take at least 4 months off from throwing every year, with at least 2-3 of those months being continuous
• Make sure to properly warm up before pitching
• Set and follow pitch-count limits and required rest periods
• Avoid throwing pitches other than fastballs and change-ups (Ages 8 & under -> 12)
• Avoid playing for multiple teams at the same time
• Avoid playing catcher while not pitching
• Players should not pitch in multiple games on the same day
• Play other sports during the course of the year
• Monitor for other signs of fatigue
• No pitcher shall appear in a game as a pitcher for three consecutive days, regardless of pitch counts
• Once hitting the age of 19+:

• • Keep track of the amount of pitching throughout the course of the year. Although the safe yearly limit varies from pitcher to pitcher, it is important to remember that overuse injuries are the result of short-term and long-term overuse
  • Take at least 3 months off from competitive pitching every year, including at least 4 continuous weeks off from all overhead throwing

Risk Factors:

1. Pitching While Fatigued:

Watch for signs of fatigue during each game, throughout the season, and over the whole year. The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) found that adolescent pitchers who undergo elbow or shoulder surgery are 36 times more likely to have routinely pitched with arm fatigue.

2. Throwing Too Many Innings over the Course of the Year