Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
Major League Baseball on Tuesday released a 62-page, year-long study on pitching disorders that identified factors contributing to the rise in arm ailments. Among them are non-game situations where players exert maximum effort more often during and during games, while pursuing higher speeds and better “stuff”.
The study interviewed more than 200 people in the industry, including “former professional pitchers, orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers, club officials, biomechanics researchers, player agents, amateur baseball officials, and other pitching experts.” , problems occurring at both professional and amateur levels were identified. development. “
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The study made broad recommendations, including potential rule changes, to address the rise in pitching injuries. But MLB said the study is only the first step in a process that requires further consideration.
For example, tracking pitchers’ training and workload from spring training to the end of the season was an easier task for researchers than during the winter, when players are essentially alone. This study shows pitchers’ injuries spike in the spring, from minor to serious, suggesting that, at the very least, pitchers are not adequately prepared for the start of spring training. This appears to be particularly important.
The study cited Shane Bieber and Spencer Strider, who died in March from Tommy John surgery, as examples.
Research shows leagues find that pitchers overwork during the offseason trying to optimize their “staffs” (a term that refers to the compound movement characteristics of a pitch, including horizontal and vertical change and spin rate). He is concerned that this is a possibility. Sweepers were cited as a relatively new pitch contributing to this problem. Weighted ball training was also found to require further research as there are varying opinions regarding its effect on injuries.
But more than anything else, this study concluded that drive velocity is the biggest factor in pitching problems.
“I think there are many factors,” the orthopedic surgeon said in the study. “If you take the simplest thing, fastball velocity, you’ll find that the average increase in fastball velocity is perfectly consistent with the increase in injury rates. is.”
The league also notes that while pitchers at the professional level are “at least somewhat aware” of the risk of injury, they are more likely to use riskier pitching styles “because they recognize that the benefits outweigh the risks, especially in the short term.” It was also revealed that he was choosing.
This idea may be pervasive even among amateurs.
“I understand that throwing hard increases the risk of injury,” the pitching coach said. “That’s true on a population level. For the vast majority of humans on the planet who want to play baseball at a serious level, that tradeoff is worth it.”
Other factors
In addition to the underlying issues of chasing speed and “staff,” MLB’s research also uncovered factors not directly related to the increase in injuries. These include, but are not limited to:
Modern Workload Management Strategies: Although intended to protect pitchers, reduced workload may actually be contributing to injuries. Pitchers tend to give even more maximum effort when they know they won’t be in the game very long.
“I was pitching to chase outs,” the former MLB pitcher said in the study. “Right now they’re chasing speed. We had to play a chess game to get 24 or 27 outs. Now it’s a sprint to go as hard as we can and for as long as we can. The starting pitchers have a reliever mentality now.”
Specifically, the study found a “perceived” trend of minor league players being unprepared for the major league workload. Restrictions on innings, increased rest between pitches, and restrictions on pitching on consecutive days are likely to have a negative impact on pitchers once they reach the majors.
“When did you first pitch consecutively?” the former pitcher wondered. “It’s the major leagues. It’s the same three days out of four. You’re not exposed to that in the minor leagues. If you’re not used to watching warm-up pitches, it’s going to put a lot of strain on your arms.” After that, I got used to recovering and preparing for the next day. ”
Training: Anecdotally, experts say there has been less emphasis on cardio and endurance training for pitchers, with “power and strength-focused training” more commonly prescribed in today’s game than in the past. I am concerned that he is supporting the
“In the past, starting pitchers used to do endurance runs, but now they do sprint-type training in short bursts with lots of power, so things have changed,” said one athletic trainer. “It’s okay to do sudden bursts of power or so-called anaerobic training. I always tell people that’s okay, but you need a foundation of aerobic capacity for that. … We We do too much heavy lifting, and I think that’s where we’re lacking.”
Past medical history: Studies within studies show that a pitcher’s injury history may be a predictor of future injuries. The study notes that pitching injuries continue to rise, and as players get younger and move up the amateur and professional ranks, more players are susceptible to new injuries.
“We’re now getting guys from the draft who are throwing year-round. Our first-rounder has been pitching year-round for three years,” said one MLB athletic trainer. “His wear and tear is probably from the last three years, not his first season in the major leagues.”
Rule changes: This study was somewhat inconclusive as it related to recent rule changes that have contributed to injuries, such as the pitch clock introduced before the 2023 season. Research shows that while the pace of the game has slowed (by 2023), evidence suggests that is not a factor, considering pitcher injuries have been on the rise since the 1990s. There is. In fact, the slower pace may have actually contributed to the increase in injuries, as pitchers essentially take longer to throw with maximum force and pitch more often. That might not happen as much with a pitch clock. Studies also show that early-season and spring training injury list ranking trends indicate that pitch clocks have little to do with injuries.
Coronavirus: Research experts believe the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season may have had a lasting impact on pitchers. His “unusual” training routine that season may have contributed to the spike in injury concerns over the past three seasons. This study suggests that additional research is needed to fully understand the impact.
Advances in surgery: Medical advances have allowed some players to return to the mound as before, but a “misperception” about surgery may be giving players a false sense of security. Research has shown that there is a In other words, pitchers may be willing to risk injury because they know they can return at any time while still earning major league pay and playing time while on the disabled list.
“They believe so much in Tommy John surgery that they’re willing to sacrifice their own elbow, knowing that if it gets torn, it can be fixed,” the orthopedic surgeon said. “By the way, there’s a new procedure going on that says this internal brace phenomenon allows you to recover in half the time, but it doesn’t help the relationship that a pitcher has in his own mind with the injury at all.
“They don’t understand that 20 percent of the players who get it don’t come back. They don’t know that. They think it’s worth it and that it’s an elite pitcher. I think that’s what I have to do to be able to pitch 100 mph on every pitch or throw as hard as I can on every pitch and take my chances and if I get hurt. is to cure it.”
Amateur Contribution: The study found that speed and chasing “stuff” at a young age also contributed to the increase in injuries among young people. Not surprisingly, the study also found that year-round training and early sport specialization were contributing factors.
“Speed continues to increase, players are getting bigger and stronger. Just because they keep getting stronger doesn’t necessarily mean the ligaments are getting stronger,” the orthopedic surgeon said. “I see a lot of children. Some children tear the bone from their elbow because the growth plate is weaker than the ligament. Instead of damaging the ligament, the bone breaks. In the past, this That used to happen from time to time, but now it’s happening more and more.” ”
Research shows that university transfer portals are seen as a factor. Schools may put children in programs for a short period of time, leading to maximizing performance over that period of time rather than allowing them to develop over several years.
conclusion
Although more research is needed on this issue, the report says the league could create a system in which pitchers are “encouraged or required to pitch with submaximal effort in order to be less active and focus on the game.” He said he understands that it may be good for the health of pitchers. . ”
Some experts suggest changing the rules of play or rosters to change training habits. For example, if a player or team had an incentive to allow a starting pitcher to play longer in a game, the starting pitcher might train differently. You probably don’t need to put maximum effort into every pitch.
A smaller pitching staff essentially requires starting and relief pitchers to pitch longer in a game, which can also change pitching habits, which could extend to the amateur level. Setting limits on the number of trades a club can make could be another way to force pitchers on their rosters to adjust their practice habits.
The overall goal, according to the study, is a system that “increases the value of a pitcher’s health and durability and decreases the value of short, full-force pitches.”
