MINNEAPOLIS – As the sport has fixated on the state of its prized stars’ pitching elbows, Major League Baseball’s highest-paid star hypothesized that the sport’s overall emphasis on stuff and the implementation of a pitch clock last season could be behind the surge of injuries.
Shohei Ohtani’s right elbow bears a familiar scar among those in the sport, undergoing Tommy John surgery after his rookie season in 2018 and another major elbow procedure (later revealed to be a hybrid Tommy John/internal brace) last September.
He understands the toll that throwing near triple digits can have on the body, ranking eighth in average fastball velocity last season among pitchers who totaled at least 120 innings before exiting an August start due to discomfort. And yet he as well as anyone understands the value that pitching at such extreme velocity can bring, earning a 10-year, $700 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter as much for his arm as for his MVP-caliber bat.
Ohtani, who started a throwing progression last month in his return from surgery, said that the emphasis on pitching with max effort along with the pitch clock could be “a significant factor” in a surge of pitching injuries that has plagued stars such as Gerrit Cole, Spencer Strider, Shane Bieber, Eury Pérez and even Framber Valdéz just two weeks into the season.
The desire to do so is understandable, with Ohtani saying “pitchers want to throw the best possible pitch that they could throw.”
“The quality of the pitch, it’s not like I could go into a game and just throw less quality pitches,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
While not as outspoken as Cole was Monday, the two-way star didn’t dismiss the potential factors of the pitch clock on pitcher injuries — something Major League Baseball pushed back on when the players’ union brought it up in a statement Saturday.
“I’m sure there’s some added pressure just to the body in having to maintain a workload in less amount of time,” Ohtani said. “So just personally, I’m sure there could be (a connection), but nothing concrete to be able to say that it is the sole reason why.”
Ohtani, who said his rehab has gone well, has plenty of examples to watch in his own clubhouse. Dodgers Opening Day starter Tyler Glasnow underwent the same hybrid surgery Ohtani did in 2021. Walker Buehler completed his second rehabilitation start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday in his attempt to return from his second Tommy John surgery. Dustin May is coming off his second major elbow surgery in three years, and 2022 NL All-Star right-hander Tony Gonsolin is expected to miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. Even Clayton Kershaw is coming off the first major procedure of his career after undergoing labrum surgery this past offseason.
These arms have expiration dates. The sport is grappling with why.
“To protect these guys’ arms is paramount,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And clearly we haven’t nailed it.”
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(Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
