Injuries are common in all sports, and this is especially true in professional baseball, where players engage in repetitive movements on the field for 162 games each season. Back injuries can be detrimental for baseball players, often affecting an athlete’s swing or pitch. As this season kicks off, serious injuries and long-term recoveries are keeping a number of players off the field.
- Baltimore Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold is still recovering after undergoing a cervical fusion surgery in July. He is now in physical therapy and remains on the disabled list until he is fully recovered.
- Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison is still on the disabled list after having surgery to repair a damaged disc last May. This was his third surgery over the past two years and he is still recovering.
- Clayton Kershaw, starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been on the 15-day disabled list since March 30due to a muscle strain in his upper back that could affect his rotator cuff, but he is expected to return to the mound in May.
- Here in New York, Brendan Ryan, the Yankees backup shortstop, is currently on the disabled list for a minor “back issue” that he believes was caused by “swinging the bat too much” during spring training. He hopes to be back on the field sometime this month to help Derek Jeter get a bit of downtime in his final season.
Although there are clear differences in severity between these injuries, the recovery pattern is often the same. After an injury has begun to heal – whether surgery is needed or not – it’s important for these players to undergo physical therapy, then slowly return to a pitching or batting program.
So far, this season is off to a great start. Many injured players are healing nicely, and very few have been injured thus far. Let’s hope the trend sticks!