It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the baseball season, but too much of a good thing can cause major problems. Baseball is a physically demanding sport that wears and tears on the body. Young ball players who are still growing are particularly susceptible to overuse injuries, Their causes and severities vary based on age, skill level, volume of play/throwing, prior history of injury, and the degree of sports-specialized training one receives, but some overuse injuries have lifelong effects.
At Emory Sports Medicine Center, we use our published research (along with that of other highly acclaimed medical centers) to identify players who have a higher risk of injury and to provide evidence-based recommendations. Keep the following risk factors in mind when you, or your young athlete, are on the field. Early recognition and treatment may prevent prolonged absences from play.
- Pitching while fatigued
- Playing for multiple teams at the same time
- Not taking enough time off from baseball
- Not following proper strength and conditioning routines
- Throwing too many innings/pitches
- Pitching on consecutive days
- Throwing curve balls and sliders at a young age
- Excessive throwing when not pitching
- Pitching while other parts of the body are injured