The leader of the baseball players’ association believes that a shorter pitch clock has played a role in a series of pitcher injuries.
“In spite of unanimous player opposition and significant apprehensions regarding health and safety, the commissioner’s office shortened the duration of the pitch clock last December, merely a season after implementing the most substantial rule alteration in decades,” stated union executive director Tony Clark on Saturday night.
“Since then, our worries about the health repercussions of reduced recovery time have only grown,” Clark continued. “The league’s failure thus far to recognize or examine the impacts of these significant changes poses an unprecedented threat to our sport and its most precious asset — the players.”
Pitchers such as Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, Atlanta’s Spencer Strider, the New York Yankees’ Jonathan Loáisiga, Miami’s Eury Pérez, and Oakland’s Trevor Gott have been diagnosed with elbow injuries.
“This statement disregards the empirical evidence and a much more significant long-term trend, spanning multiple decades, of velocity and spin increases that are strongly associated with arm injuries,” responded Major League Baseball in a statement.
MLB stated that it is conducting a research study into the causes of increased injuries. It referenced an analysis by Johns Hopkins that “found no evidence supporting the notion that the introduction of the pitch clock has led to increased injuries” and “no evidence suggesting that pitchers who worked quickly… were more prone to injury than those who did not.”
Cleveland announced on Saturday that Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, will undergo season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery to repair a right ulnar collateral ligament injury.
Shortly after, Atlanta disclosed that Strider has a damaged UCL and will undergo further examination by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.
Loáisiga stated on Saturday that he requires season-ending elbow surgery and will be out of action for 10 to 12 months. Loáisiga, a 29-year-old right-hander, mentioned feeling a pop in his elbow while delivering a changeup to Jorge Barrosa, his final batter in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 6-5, 11-inning victory against Arizona. A scan revealed a torn UCL.
Miami revealed on Thursday that Pérez will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. The day before, Gott had TJ surgery.
MLB implemented a pitch clock for the 2023 season set at 15 seconds with nobody on base and 20 seconds with a baserunner. The average duration of a nine-inning game dropped to 2 hours and 40 minutes, marking a 24-minute decrease to its shortest since 1985. In December, the 11-member competition committee decided to reduce the clock to 18 seconds with baserunners, a decision opposed by the four players on the committee.
