Major League Baseball implemented a number of changes over recent years to overhaul the game with rules that improved offense and pace of play.
New roster restrictions, mound visit limitations, sticky checks and the implementation of the pitch clock are among the most notable. But with the latter has seemingly come a rise in injuries to pitchers at the Major League level and those still developing in the Minors.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the crop of teams with a laundry list of pitchers on the injured list for extended periods with significant elbow injuries. The latest being promising rookie River Ryan, who is out for the foreseeable future due to needing Tommy John surgery.
Ryan suffered a UCL strain in his right elbow during a start on Aug. 10.
“Yeah, it’s just part of the game, man, Ryan said of getting injured. “It happens.”
But the 26-year-old then took aim at MLB’s pitch timer.
“I mean, the pitch clock definitely makes you speed up a lot, which, back in the day, you didn’t have to speed up as when you threw, so throwing back-to-back pitches within 15 seconds, it starts to take a toll,” Ryan added.
Ryan was just four starts into his big league career, posting a 1.33 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.18 WHIP in 20.1 innings. He was on the radar by many as being a staple in the Dodgers rotation down the stretch before suffering the elbow injury.
Many around the game believe a number of factors are to blame for the sharp rise in pitcher injuries, with the pitch clock being the most glaring change implemented.
MLB has pushed back on that stance and seemingly continues to benefit from the pitch clock gettin average time of games well under three hours.
Other factors besides MLB pitch clock with pitcher injuries
Some believe that alongside the pitch clock, a rise in velocity could be a factor. The list of hard-throwing starting pitchers to require arm surgery is growing, particularly with those coming within the last two seasons.
But pitchers didn’t just begin throwing hard, nor are they just now experimenting with devastating off-speed stuff. The frequency in which they have to throw is the largest change to the game, because after throwing an upper-90s fastball, 15 seconds later they’ll have to exert the same stress on their elbow.
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