Major League Baseball Pitchers Experienced Increased Flexor Tendon and Forearm Injuries 2 Years After Pitch Clock Implementation

Division

North Texas

Hospital

Medical City Denton

Document Type

Manuscript

Publication Date

8-1-2025

Keywords

baseball, pitch clock, forearm injury, injuries

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Orthopedics | Sports Medicine | Wounds and Injuries

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of pitcher injuries 2 years after implementation of the Major League Baseball (MLB) pitch clock.

METHODS: Injury data were collected for the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 MLB seasons using the fangraphs.com injury database. The incidence rate ratio was calculated to compare the injury rate for the 2024 season with that for each of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons. Data were pooled for the pre- and post-pitch clock seasons and were compared in similar fashion to the individual seasons using the incidence rate ratio. The

RESULTS: The 2024 MLB season, with 366 overall injuries, showed a decrease in the overall number of injuries compared with the 2021 season, which had 467 overall injuries (

CONCLUSIONS: Two years after the implementation of the MLB pitch clock, there was a decrease in the incidence of overall injury rates and lower-extremity injuries. There remained no associated increase in ulnar collateral ligament operations 2 years after implementation. However, the pre- versus post-pitch clock comparison showed a rise in flexor tendon and forearm injuries in the 2024 season.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Publisher or Conference

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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