It’s time to cover a topic in our blog that no one ever wants to face. That is the dreaded risk of injury in baseball. Unfortunately, injuries will always be a part of sports, but there are a few things to know about them and what you can do to prevent them. Below we are going to cover some general information about injuries and common ways to prevent injury in baseball.
Common Baseball Injuries
Baseball players are susceptible to a range of injuries, including:
- Muscle soreness;
- ACL, Meniscus tear, and other various knee injuries;
- Ankle sprain;
- Back sprains
- Rotator cuff tear or strain.
- Rotator cuff tendinitis;
- Throwers elbow;
Common Ways to Prevent Injury In Baseball
The first step in trying to avoid injuries is to train hard during the off-season to ensure your body is prepared for the season. Training and conditioning are key when talking about injury prevention in baseball. Below we will list some advice that can help you avoid injury. These the common ways to prevent injury in baseball:
- Always warm up properly before any athletic activity
- Good flexibility training will reduce injuries
- Stretching can be very beneficial in reducing injuries
- Attention to proper throwing and batting technique
- Perfecting your form will help to reduce injuries
- Always wear proper protection when training
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Keep a pitch count even in training
- Strength training can help your body hold up
- Plyometrics is a great way to train at home
- Throwers elbow;
Common Shoulder Stretches
Arm Circles
This is a classic. There is no doubt if you have played baseball at some point, you’ve done arm circles as a warm-up. The way it works is – Hold your arms up to your sides and make small, circular motions with your hands. Then, increase the size of these circles until they are as big as you can go comfortably. Do this for 30 seconds, stop, then repeat with your arms circling in the opposite direction. This will give your shoulders a nice stretch and then you’ll be able to keep those injuries away. If you want to see an example, check out this video.
Cross-body Shoulder Stretch
Again, this is one you might be familiar with, but it should not be overlooked. Bring either arm across your body, holding your elbow with your hand. Then, push your arm across your chest until you feel a stretch in the back of your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds, and then do it again with the opposite arm. see an example of the stretch below.
