Tommy John Surgery's This Year

[Phil316]

Marlins Jose Fernandez is going to be the latest. It seems it is becoming more and more prevalent.

Opinions on why ?

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Showcase circuit in high school. Top preps are being forced to play/train year round. The body isn't meant to endure that during developmental years. Also, weight-training starting earlier. I know when I was in HS, we did weight and endurance training for baseball, so it has to be the fact that it's year round.

[gorilla777]

You're right, the total this early is rough, lots of good arms out for the year.
It seems like the product of year round travel teams for kids, coupled with throwing too many slider/curveballs at a young age before the arm and ligaments have strengthened adequately.
It used to be starters in the Majors would throw complete games, 100 plus pitches, all the time. And then they'd throw more between starts.
I hate seeing all these great young pitchers getting shelved. At least they have the TJ option where they can return stronger, just two years later.

[MarlinsFan1993]

Incredibly saddened by the news of Jose's torn UCL in his elbow. Huge loss for both the Marlins and MLB as he is just a treat to watch on the mound.

There are 3 main risk factors for UCL injuries: workload, pitch type, and mechanics. More recently studies have found correlation between higher pitch velocities and the occurrence of injury as well. As a Sport and Exercise Science grad student I wrote a meta-analysis paper on UCL injuries in baseball pitchers focused on the mechanisms of injury, surgical procedure (TJS), and subsequent rehabilitation. I can email you a copy of it if anyone is interested in reading it.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Showcase circuit in high school. Top preps are being forced to play/train year round. The body isn't meant to endure that during developmental years. Also, weight-training starting earlier. I know when I was in HS, we did weight and endurance training for baseball, so it has to be the fact that it's year round.

I doubt it is any kind of weight endurance training at fault here. Firstly because I don't believe it has changed in recent years to explain such an increase. Secondly, pitchers don't do all that much upper body lifting.

I think it is starting kids earlier and putting huge workloads on them that sometimes go year round. I had a game the other day and a a kid probably not older than 6 years old was being trained like he was a high school kid in a spare batting cage. His dad was yelling at him and pushing him pretty hard to get his fundamentals down. He will never make it through high school like that.

High School baseball pitchers are throwing 100+ pitches and sometimes rack up to 120. That is pretty rough if you ask me for someone still developing.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

High School baseball pitchers are throwing 100+ pitches and sometimes rack up to 120. That is pretty rough if you ask me for someone still developing.

That's the same reason why Korean preps fail(ed) so regularly until 2008 or so. They'd regularly pitch to counts of 150+.

[staindsox]

It is because of weight training. The muscles become too strong for the elbow or shoulder to handle and something tears. Pitchers didn't even touch weights until the 1990s. They should be building up their arms by throwing a lot more than they currently do, especially long toss...and you build up your stamina in the legs by running. That recipe worked for 100 years, but the juice head mentality took over in the mid 90s.

It certainly isn't the number of innings. Look at the number of innings guys throw today...and I include what they throw in college, minors, etc. Nothing compared to the previous few generations. Too much time in the weight room and not enough on the mound.

[staindsox]

And should add that you only have to look at Nolan Ryan or a 1980s Roger Clemens. Both were incredible power pitchers, but didn't touch the weights. They were just work horses. I guess Clemens would even run five miles or more after pitching a game. And of course his rice barrel exercise was another brilliant way to build up power in the arm without bulking up.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

And should add that you only have to look at Nolan Ryan or a 1980s Roger Clemens. Both were incredible power pitchers, but didn't touch the weights. They were just work horses. I guess Clemens would even run five miles or more after pitching a game. And of course his rice barrel exercise was another brilliant way to build up power in the arm without bulking up.

I'm not sure either is a good choice to give an example for being power pitchers with longevity, as both came under scrutiny for possible steroid use in the 90s.

[DJaeger22]

I'm not sure either is a good choice to give an example for being power pitchers with longevity, as both came under scrutiny for possible steroid use in the 90s.

I've never heard Nolan being mentioned in connection to steroids. Where did you find this info?

Staindsox- that's exactly what I have always thought is happening to pitchers. I've always said it's like putting a big engine in a car and leaving the stock transmission in it, it's just not going to go well in the end.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

I've never heard Nolan being mentioned in connection to steroids. Where did you find this info?

Google search keywords: Nolan Ryan steroid use

As I said, they came under scrutiny. I didn't say either was found guilty of use.

[Phil316]

Lost another to TJ surgery today. Martin Perez of the Rangers.

[gorilla777]

Another great young pitcher and we aren't even into June yet....

[Phil316]

Yeah it's pretty alarming.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Another reason for such a spike is the quality of the surgery. A number of these players could easily avoid TJS, but get it anyway as they think it is better for them in the long run.

Players are not afraid to go under the knife for stuff anymore.

[Phil316]

Add Matt Wieters to the list. Pretty big blow to the O's.

[Phil316]

Add Bronson Arroyo to the list.

[bdeol44]

Just crazy

[xpress34]

I'm not sure either is a good choice to give an example for being power pitchers with longevity, as both came under scrutiny for possible steroid use in the 90s.


Excuse me? Show me the report accusing Ryan of Steroid use. I never heard Nolan's name even whispered with steroids.

[beachpetrol]

Excuse me? Show me the report accusing Ryan of Steroid use. I never heard Nolan's name even whispered with steroids.

If there is any guilt by association, he was teammates with Canseco, and his pitching coach was Tom House.

Interesting quote from Nolan Ryan's HOF speech:

"While I was [with the Rangers] I was very fortunate to have a pitching coach by the name of Tom House. And Tom and I are of the same age and Tom is a coach that is always on the cutting edge. And I really enjoyed our association together and he would always come up with new training techniques that we would try and see how they would work in to my routine. And because of our friendship and Tom pushing me, I think I got in the best shape of my life during the years that I was with the Rangers."

[Phil316]

Another victim has been had. Rockies Tyler Chatwood only 24 will need Tommy John surgery.

[helf35]

Looks like you can add Nate Jones to the list.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Chatwood is an interesting case, since he's had a history of elbow problems. Didn't he have bone chips removed from his elbow in the off-season, and he lost a month due to elbow tightness last year. Hopefully the TJ surgery corrects the problem, but it might be one of those cases where it addresses the symptom, but not the problem. Maybe the year-plus off will give him time to reassess his mechanics.

[Phil316]

Tyler Skaggs will undergo TJ surgery. Sad really 23 years old. Will most of the 2015 season as well.

[Phil316]

Losing some great players this year.