MLBPA says pitch clock to blame for injuries; league counters

[Auggie]

NEW YORK -- The head of the baseball players' association thinks a shorter pitch clock has contributed to a series of pitcher injuries.

"Despite unanimous player opposition and significant concerns regarding health and safety, the commissioner's office reduced the length of the pitch clock last December, just one season removed from imposing the most significant rule change in decades," union executive director Tony Clark said Saturday night in a statement.

"Since then, our concerns about the health impacts of reduced recovery time have only intensified," Clark said. "The league's unwillingness thus far to acknowledge or study the effects of these profound changes is an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset -- the players."

Cleveland's Shane Bieber, Atlanta's Spencer Strider, the New York Yankees' Jonathan Loáisiga, Miami's Eury Pérez and Oakland's Trevor Gott are among the pitchers diagnosed with elbow injuries.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39890102/mlbpa-says-shorter-pitch-clock-blame-pitcher-injuries

The counter?

MLB said that UCL surgeries at the minor league level actually declined in 2022, the first year that the pitch timer was used across the minors. The league believes the increase in max-effort pitching and focus on pitch design have contributed to the rise in injuries more than the clock.

MLB threw in a new variable -- the pitch clock -- and elbow injures begin to multiply. Instead of ENDING THE PITCH CLOCK immediately and diving deep into the science MLB wants to argue about it.

[True Dough]

1. The plot thickens...

Even your own Shane Bieber is not prepared to pin the blame on the pitch clock, at least not yet...

https://deadspin.com/guardians-rhp-shane-bieber-not-ready-to-say-pitch-clock-1851395919

[True Dough]

2. But...

possibly add Framber Valdez to the list of the walking wounded...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/framber-valdez-scratched-from-start-due-to-elbow-soreness.html

[Wounded Bear]

3. I actually like the clock as a concept. I do think it's a bit too fast, though...nt

[True Dough]

4. Some people have been revisiting and circulating this video made by Tyler Glasnow

from a couple of years ago after he suffered his serious arm injury. More perspective to consider...

&ab_channel=StarrCards

[Auggie]

5. Consider this:

Arm/shoulder injuries have been building in frequency as the game, arm strength, pitching motion, and pitch selection has evolved. Perhaps not in clear linear way. Or with any defining speed. But they have been building.

It's like adding straw to the camel's back. Eventually a limit is reached. The pitch clock -- or lack of rest between pitches -- may be the straw that exacerbates injuries to a new level.

[True Dough]

6. Could be

Here's Aaron Boone's take on it:

Link to tweet

[ProfessorGAC]

7. I Disagree With MLBPA

There is correlation, but nothing to prove causation.
In fact, since the pace of the game has reached that of the late 70s to 1990, comparing pitching injuries does not correlate. Far fewer injuries, with pitchers burning more innings, where the amount of time between pitches is roughly the same. And, that time period aligns with the refinement of TJ surgery. Very good restorative surgery existed, yet used less often.
I believe the culprit is the emphasis on throwing every pitch hard & focusing on spin rate. Add to that more rigorous weight lifting and you have strength & speed that exceeds soft tissue tolerances.
I think it's much simpler to assign cause to trying to throw a hundred 35 or 40 times a game, and maximizing movement on every pitch, because they don't want pitching to contact anymore.
The very act of modern pitching is more than most human arms can handle.

[retread]

8. Paraphrasing John Smoltz, "Look at an MRI of your pitching arm after a routine start.

You will be shocked at the damage".

[Ziggysmom]

9. Hate the pitch clock, seems like asking for trouble pushing a pitcher harder than it should.