Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Sports Medicine for Baseball Players

What We Treat

Our sports medicine team includes physical therapists, certified athletic trainers, orthotists and pediatric sports medicine physicians. We evaluate each athlete's body mechanics and history of injury to create an exercise plan tailored to his performance goals. We are experts in treating: 

Injuries can occur while base running and, more often, when sliding into bases. Serious injuries, such as concussions, are most likely to occur when two players collide with each other in play. The most common injuries in baseball are overuse injuries, mainly in the shoulders and elbows. The USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee has established guidelines in an attempt to prevent overuse injuries by limiting pitch counts and types of pitches for certain ages. Our team incorporates these guidelines into our own return to play guidelines for athletes. 

Services We Offer

  • Posture assessment
  • Strength testing
  • Flexibility assessment
  • Sports motion analysis
  • Pitching assessment
  • Training tips
  • Advice about stretching and strengthening exercises 

Injury Prevention

Tips to improve your game and prevent injury 

Base running tips

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends the following for those individuals sliding into, as well as protecting, the bases while playing baseball and softball:

  • Players under age 10 should not be taught to slide.
  • Proper sliding technique must be taught and practiced before using any bag, including breakaway bases. Practice first with a sliding bag.
  • The “obstruction” rule must be taught and observed. Getting in the way of the runner or blocking the base without possession of the ball is dangerous to both the runner and the fielder.
  • When coming into home plate, it is important that the runner attempt to slide to avoid a collision.
  • To prevent ankle and foot injuries between the runner and fielder at first base, a “double bag”—a separate bag for both runner and first baseman—should be used.

Prevent overuse injuries

Because many young athletes are training year-round, we are seeing an increase in overuse injuries. Both coaches and parents should be responsive to young athletes who complain of arm or shoulder pain. Seek out medical care for pain that does not go away or comes back every time a child resumes pitching or throwing.

  • Limit the number of teams on which your child is playing in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.
  • Do not allow your child to play just one sport year-round. Taking regular breaks and playing other sports is essential to skill development and injury prevention.
  • Do not allow your child to pitch on consecutive days; avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons.

Prevent shoulder injuries (throwing injuries)

  • Stop throwing if the athlete has pain. 
  • Change from shortstop or outfield to first or second base for shorter throws. 
  • Bat only if it does not make the pain worse.
  • Have an expert assess the athlete's throwing motion. 

Focus on technique

USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee recommends following these guidelines for youth baseball, which includes limiting the number of pitches thrown and the type of pitches thrown, according to age. 

Pitching recommendations

Pitch count limits

Age

Max No. of pitches per game

Max No. of pitches per week

8-10

50

75

11-12

75

100

13-14

75

125

15-16

90

2 games/week

17-18

105

2 games/week


Minimum ages for pitch types

  • Fastball – 8
  • Change-up – 10
  • Curveball – 14
  • Knuckleball – 15
  • Slider – 16
  • Forkball – 16
  • Splitter – 16
  • Screwball – 17