Epidemiology of Injuries in Major League Baseball Catchers.

Background: In part because of the perception that many injuries occur during collisions with the catcher at home plate, Major League Baseball (MLB) officials recently implemented rule changes to prevent these injuries. There is little research on the rate, type, and severity of injuries in MLB catchers.

Purpose: To (1) determine the types and severity of injuries to catchers, (2) determine catchers' athlete exposure (AE) rate of injuries, and (3) assess the perception that catchers are at risk for career-ending injuries caused by home plate collisions.

Changes in collegiate starting pitchers' range of motion after single game and season.

The relationship of changes in glenohumeral range of motion (ROM) in a pitcher's throwing shoulder to a single pitching episode is not well described, and the causes of such changes over a season are controversial. We hypothesized that in pitchers for a collegiate baseball team, external rotation (ER) would increase, internal rotation (IR) would decrease, total ROM would be maintained, and the glenohumeral IR deficit would worsen in starting pitchers' shoulders after single pitching episodes and after the season. Participants were 6 starting pitchers for all 25 home games from a Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association team during 1 regular spring season.

Glenohumeral range of motion in major league pitchers: changes over the playing season.

Background: Although overhead throwing athletes may develop unique glenohumeral range of motion characteristics, to our knowledge these characteristics have not been studied longitudinally in major league pitchers.

Hypothesis: Major league pitchers (starters and relievers) experience an increase in glenohumeral external rotation and a decrease in internal rotation and total range of motion. Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit worsens over a regular playing season.