by Bryan Nashalsky
Section Editor
The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
With each day that goes by, a superstar pitcher receives a big, blue box with a red laced ribbon tied around it. Inside? A new elbow, and a one way ticket to the Injured List (IL).
Inside one’s elbow is the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, or UCL for short. The UCL gets torn by throwing breaking balls that put too much torque on the elbow, resulting in an unnatural movement. This is a fairly common injury among pitchers from high school through the big leagues. A surgery, known as Tommy John Surgery, repairs the torn ligament.
Current day pitchers are expected to throw their fastest fastball every pitch, and their nastiest breaking ball every pitch. The nastier the pitch breaks, the more tension put on the elbow. Is it worth the swing and miss?
Actually, maybe so. It is statistically proven that pitchers throw harder after Tommy John surgery than they did previously. For example, Jacob deGrom averaged 93.5 miles per hour on his fastball during his Rookie of the Year season, then underwent Tommy John surgery, and pumped 102 miles per hour in 2021. His old fastball matched his current slider in velocity.
Even though Tommy John surgery provides a velocity boost, the downside outweighs the upside. 12-15 months sidelined is a long time, especially when youth is like ice cream on a sunny day - you have to enjoy it while it lasts. When a team loses a key pitcher to Tommy John surgery, especially when that team is making a postseason push, it’s a vital blow to the whole team’s morale.
UCL repair has been a common surgery among pitchers for decades - so why is it considered a pandemic now? Recently, it feels headlines all sound the same: “Guardians Ace Shane Bieber Expecting Tommy John Sugery,” “Reigning Cy Young Award Winner Garret Cole Exits Game with Elbow Inflammation.” After scrolling through ESPN’s coverage of the MLB Injured List, this feeling is accurate.
Six pitchers in just four days had serious doctor visits, including a World Series champion, a Cy Young Award winner, a Rookie of the Year runner up, and a hyped-up prospect who was breaking through in the big leagues. Never before have we seen so many pitchers sidelined for the same injury in such a short period of time. While there isn’t a clear reason for this alarming injury rate, we may be able to identify probable causes.
Prior to June 1st of 2021, pitchers were allowed to use “sticky stuff” to help grip their pitches - or maybe MLB officials weren’t aware these substances were being used in the first place. In his first start after the ban, Tyler Glasnow said he had to grasp the ball tighter than ever before, which he believes puts more stress on his elbow, resulting in a tear to his UCL. Glasnow didn’t last long without the sticky stuff and went straight to the IL.
Another possible cause could be the introduction of the pitch-clock. 2024 is the first year that MLB implemented this, which puts an added stress on the pitcher to release the ball quickly; they can’t wait all day, or until they’re ready. Since they’re rushing, their body and grip tightens, which could put strain on their elbow.
Future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander spoke out about this “pandemic,” claiming that it’s a mix of everything: rule changes, analytics, and progression. When figuring out a solution to the crisis, he dwindles “It’s unfortunate, I don’t know how to rewind the clock.” For a full analysis of his interview, check out this article from sportsnet.com.
With that being said, should we try to rewind the clock, or think three moves ahead? New England journalist Brendan Akashian advises parents to “take control” of monitoring their children’s pitch count to prevent their arm from being overused. It would be exhilarating for our kids to watch an iron horse starting pitcher with a biological arm.