One in three MLB starting pitchers now begins the season with a surgically rebuilt elbow. The data shows the sport's physical toll is systematic, from youth leagues to the majors.
Key Takeaways
- In MLB from 2011-2020, pitchers had a 3.22% rate of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears requiring Tommy John surgery per player-season
- Oblique strains accounted for 24% of non-contact position player injuries in MLB 2011-2020
- Concussions in MLB averaged 8.5 per season from collisions
- Quadriceps strains accounted for 12.4% of all MLB position player injuries 2011-2020
- MLB pitchers in 2023 had shoulder rotator cuff tear rate of 15.7 per 100 players
Baseball injuries peak during games, making better training and recovery crucial for keeping players on the field.
Related reading
01 · Category
Elbow and Arm Injuries30 stats
01
In MLB from 2011-2020, pitchers had a 3.22% rate of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears requiring Tommy John surgery per player-season
02
Youth baseball pitchers aged 15-19 experienced UCL reconstruction rates of 1 in 4.3 high school seasons
03
MLB pitchers with prior Tommy John surgery returned to pitch 82.9% of the time but with only 73.3% performance level
04
In 2022, 29% of MLB starting pitchers on opening day had undergone Tommy John surgery
05
High school baseball pitchers throwing over 100 pitches per game had a 3.5 times higher risk of elbow injuries
06
From 2000-2019, Tommy John surgeries in MLB increased from 14 to 52 annually
07
Amateur pitchers under 18 had a 26% re-tear rate post-Tommy John
08
MLB relievers had a 2.6 times higher UCL injury rate than starters from 2011-2018
09
Pitchers using curveballs had 52% higher odds of medial elbow pain
10
In Little League, elbow injuries accounted for 23.8% of all pitching injuries
11
Tommy John surgery success rate in MLB pitchers was 83% for return to prior level
12
From 2014-2021, UCL repairs (internal brace) had 90% return rate vs 67% for reconstruction in pros
13
High-velocity pitchers (>95 mph) had 2.4x elbow injury risk
14
In NCAA Division I, 15.2% of pitchers reported elbow pain weekly
15
MLB pitchers averaged 36.5 days on IL for forearm strains from 2010-2020
16
Youth pitchers with year-round play had 5x higher elbow surgery risk
17
Flexor tendon tears preceded 64% of UCL injuries in MLB pitchers
18
In Japan pro baseball, UCL injury rate was 1.9 per 1000 innings pitched
19
Pitchers returning post-TJ had 18% higher revision rate within 5 years
20
Elbow valgus stress exceeds ligament strength at 80-100 degrees flexion
21
MLB left-handed pitchers had 1.4x higher Tommy John rate than right-handers
22
Adolescent pitchers with >600 pitches/year had 3.3x elbow injury odds
23
Internal brace UCL repair allowed return in 10 months vs 14 for TJ
24
41% of MLB pitchers on IL in 2023 had elbow/forearm issues
25
Elbow injuries caused 28% of all pitcher DL time in 2010s
26
Pitch grips with high spin axis increased elbow torque by 15%
27
Post-TJ pitchers velocity increased 1.5 mph average
28
UCL injury incidence rose 9% annually in youth baseball 2007-2016
29
Tommy John surgeries in MLB hit record 84 in 2021 season
30
UCL tears in position players 0.4% rate vs 3% pitchers
Interpretation
Elbow and Arm Injuries Interpretation
From the fact that one in three current MLB starters has already had their elbow rebuilt to the alarming rates of UCL tears among overworked teenagers, this cascade of data reveals baseball is systematically and unnecessarily breaking its pitchers at every level, which is a tragedy for the players and a long-term strategic blunder for the sport.
02 · Category
General and Miscellaneous Injuries30 stats
01
Oblique strains accounted for 24% of non-contact position player injuries in MLB 2011-2020
02
Overall MLB injury rate was 3.50 per 100 games in 2022
03
Pitchers represented 58% of all MLB disabled list time 2010-2022
04
Hamstring strains recurred at 31% rate across all positions
05
Youth baseball injury rate 0.15 per 1000 AE, 46% overuse
06
MLB IL days total 1.2 million from 2011-2020
07
Contusions/bruises 22% of all game injuries
08
Core muscle injuries required surgery in 12% cases MLB
09
Injury rates rose 27% after universal DH in AL
10
Female softball players had 1.5x higher injury rate than baseball
11
Spring training injuries 2.1x higher than regular season rate
12
Average player career shortened 0.8 years by major injury
13
Wrist fractures from slides 7.3 per 1000 slides youth
14
Heat-related injuries up 15% in summer games
15
Pitch count limits reduced overuse injuries by 23% in HS
16
Finger fractures 9% of batting injuries from hit-by-pitch
17
Total MLB surgeries 2023: 412, up 8% YoY
18
Back strains 14% of all non-pitching injuries, avg 14 days
19
Injury surveillance showed 68% acute vs 32% overuse MLB
20
Abdominal strains 16% position players IL time
21
Total injuries MLB 2022: 1,228 on IL
22
Sprains/strains 72% of all reported injuries
23
Travel ball players 2.6x injury rate vs recreational
24
HBP incidents 0.42 per game MLB average
25
Fracture incidence 4.8% all injuries pro ball
26
Rehab adherence 92% correlated faster RTP
27
Night games injury rate 1.1x daytime
28
Platelet rich plasma success 84% soft tissue injuries
29
Hand lacerations from slides 11 per 1000 bases
30
Mental health absences rose 300% post-2020 MLB
Interpretation
General and Miscellaneous Injuries Interpretation
While baseball might revel in its statistics, the sobering truth etched in this injury data is that the sport's grind is a relentless, often surgical, war of attrition where pitchers are perpetually besieged, every swing and slide carries a tax, and the quest for competitive edge—from youth travel ball to the universal DH—inevitably writes its cost in torn tissues, fractured bones, and abbreviated careers.
03 · Category
Head and Concussion Injuries30 stats
01
Concussions in MLB averaged 8.5 per season from collisions
02
Catchers experienced 41% of all baseball concussions due to foul tips
03
Youth baseball concussion rate 0.51 per 1000 AE, higher than football
04
MLB players post-concussion missed average 17 days
05
Head impacts from batted balls caused 23% of pro concussions
06
NCAA baseball concussions increased 81% from 2010-2019
07
Helmets reduced head injury severity by 52% in Little League
08
Facial fractures from collisions 14 per 1000 games in amateurs
09
Post-concussion syndrome lasted >3 months in 15% MLB cases
10
Umpires reported concussions at 0.3 per 1000 exposures
11
Baseline ImPACT testing identified 22% undiagnosed prior concussions
12
Foul ball head strikes declined 35% post-helmet mandates
13
Cervical strains from whiplash in 9% of collision injuries
14
Return to play post-concussion averaged 10.4 days in youth
15
67% of baseball concussions from player-player contact
16
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy linked in 3 retired MLB players
17
Jaw fractures from hits averaged 6 weeks recovery
18
Concussion rates higher in April-May due to rusty play, up 28%
19
Nosebleeds/breaks 11% of head injuries from balls
20
MLB concussion protocol reduced re-injury by 44%
21
Concussion symptoms resolved avg 7.4 days MLB
22
Retinal detachment rare 0.1% head trauma baseball
23
Mandible fractures 70% from bat-ball contact
24
Vestibular therapy sped RTP 4 days post-concussion
25
Orbital fractures 5.2 per 1000 foul ball hits
26
Headache prevalence 45% within 24h concussion
27
Zygomatic arch fx wired 4 weeks catchers mask fail
28
Neurocognitive deficits persisted 30 days 12% cases
29
Catcher mask upgrades reduced impacts 48%
30
Second impact syndrome 0 cases reported MLB
Interpretation
Head and Concussion Injuries Interpretation
While the crack of the bat may be baseball’s most iconic sound, the unsettling thud of a foul tip or collision tells a more serious story, revealing a sport grappling with a pervasive concussion crisis that spans from rusty April professionals to Little Leaguers, where helmets are vital but the data shows we’re still very much in the early innings of protecting the brain.
More related reading
04 · Category
Lower Body Injuries30 stats
01
Quadriceps strains accounted for 12.4% of all MLB position player injuries 2011-2020
02
Hamstring strains in MLB averaged 15.8 days missed, highest recurrence 33%
03
Ankle sprains comprised 18% of lower extremity injuries in NCAA baseball
04
MLB outfielders had 2.3x higher hamstring injury rate during sprints
05
Calf strains led to 22 days average IL time in pros
06
Knee injuries (ACL/MCL) affected 4.1% of MLB players per season
07
Youth baseball sliding injuries caused 28% lower leg fractures
08
Hip flexor strains in infielders occurred at 9.2 per 1000 exposures
09
Plantar fasciitis accounted for 6% of pitcher lower body issues
10
MLB catchers had 3.1x higher quad injury risk due to squatting
11
Groin strains recurred in 27% of cases within 2 years MLB
12
Ankle fractures from cleat issues in 14% of fielding injuries
13
Hamstring injury prevention programs reduced incidence by 51%
14
Lower leg injuries caused 19% of all baseball DL days 2010-2020
15
Adductor strains in first basemen at 11.5 per 1000 games
16
Shin splints affected 8% of youth players in spring season
17
ACL tears post-pivot shift in fielders averaged 9 months recovery
18
Foot stress fractures in 5.2% of high-velocity sprinters baseball
19
Patellar tendinitis in catchers 12% prevalence
20
MLB 2023 lower extremity strains up 12% from sprint training
21
Adductor longus tears 65% surgical in pros
22
IT band syndrome 7% runners/base stealers
23
Sesamoiditis in toe off big toe 5% pitchers landing
24
Femoroacetabular impingement 14% hip pain MLB
25
Peroneal tendon subluxation 3% ankle injuries slides
26
Quadriceps contusions avg 12 days missed
27
Snapping hip syndrome 9% dancers/baseball hip flex
28
Tibialis posterior tendinopathy 4% overuse lower leg
29
Osteochondral lesions ankle 2.1 per 1000 games
30
Core stability deficit doubled hamstring reinjury
Interpretation
Lower Body Injuries Interpretation
Despite baseball's cerebral pace, the grim arithmetic of its lower body—a litany of strains, sprains, and snaps—reveals a sport perpetually sprinting on borrowed time, where the relentless demand for explosive speed wages a silent war against the very muscles and joints that make it possible.
05 · Category
Shoulder Injuries30 stats
01
MLB pitchers in 2023 had shoulder rotator cuff tear rate of 15.7 per 100 players
02
Superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears affected 22% of injured MLB pitchers 2010-2019
03
Youth pitchers with shoulder pain had 2.1x higher surgery risk
04
MLB pitchers post-labral repair returned at 68% performance level
05
Overhead throwing caused glenohumeral internal rotation deficit in 64% of pitchers
06
In NCAA, shoulder injuries were 23% of pitching DL time, average 25 days
07
MLB relievers had 4.2x higher shoulder surgery rate than starters
08
Posterior shoulder impingement affected 18% of elite pitchers annually
09
Biceps tendinitis accounted for 11% of pitcher shoulder injuries
10
Shoulder instability surgery success rate 85% in pro baseball
11
Pitchers throwing sliders had 1.8x risk of shoulder strain
12
32% of MLB pitchers reported shoulder fatigue after 75+ pitches
13
Arthroscopic labral repair allowed 75% RTP in 11 months for pitchers
14
GIRD >20 degrees increased shoulder injury risk 4-fold in youth
15
MLB pitchers averaged 62 days IL for shoulder inflammation 2015-2022
16
Subacromial bursitis seen in 9% of injured pitchers MRI scans
17
High spin rate pitchers had 25% higher shoulder stress biomechanically
18
Return to throw post-shoulder surgery was 79% in MLB
19
Scapular dyskinesis present in 81% of pitchers with shoulder pain
20
MLB 2022 saw 47 pitcher shoulder surgeries, up 15% from 2021
21
Pectoralis major strains caused 7% of shoulder absences in pitchers
22
Glenohumeral abduction deficit >10% raised shoulder injury 3x
23
Supraspinatus tendinopathy 28% pitchers with pain
24
Total shoulder arthroplasty rare, <1% baseball injuries age 40+
25
Scapular strengthening reduced shoulder injury 36%
26
Infraspinatus strains 6% acute shoulder injuries
27
Bennett lesion calcific deposits 40% overhead athletes
28
Shoulder ECUs dislocation 2% pitcher injuries
29
Velocity drop >2 mph signaled 70% shoulder injury risk
30
Reverse total shoulder for irreparable cuff 92% satisfaction
Interpretation
Shoulder Injuries Interpretation
It’s tragically ironic: the very act of throwing a baseball with elite, hyper-engineered force systematically dismantles the pitcher’s shoulder in a predictable cycle of tear, repair, and diminished return, proving the arm is ultimately an invoice for the torque it creates.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Baseball Injuries Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/baseball-injuries-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Baseball Injuries Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/baseball-injuries-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Baseball Injuries Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/baseball-injuries-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level