Professional advancement, performance, and injury characteristics of baseball players entering the Major League Baseball draft after treatment for shoulder injuries.

Background: How shoulder injuries treated before the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft affect the player's performance over their career is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior shoulder injuries were associated with a difference in the level of performance and advancement of MLB draftees.

Methods: Before entering the draft, 119 professional baseball players from 2004 to 2010 were treated for a shoulder injury (73% treated surgically) as an amateur.