humerus to the proximal aspect of the ulna. Most of us are unfamiliar with the technical complexities of this tendon but baseball fans everywhere are getting increasingly familiar with the havoc this ligament is causing for owners of MLB teams and fantasy teams alike. A few nights ago, Jose Fernandez, one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game felt a twinge in his elbow region and it is all but certain that he will miss the remainder of the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. This is a definite blow to any chances the Marlins might have at a .500 record and will be a huge obstacle to any fantasy owner who spent an early draft pick on this Cy Young contender. Fernandez is the latest of a growing pile of young pitchers who are forced to make the dreaded appointment with Dr. James Andrews and the most recent to receive the news that his season is abruptly over.
With the increased awareness of UCL injuries, teams are monitoring their young pitchers now more than ever. Pitch counts, mechanics, and medical attention are all taken very seriously by every major league team and yet an increasing amount of major league and minor league pitchers are being lost now more than ever before. While there are varying opinions as to why this injury is occurring more frequently, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when a UCL injury might take place. A correlation can be made with harder throwing pitchers and UCL injuries but the connection is still under review. Pitchers are throwing the ball harder now then ever before and many of the pitchers who suffer from elbow problems also seem to throw a little harder than their counterparts but this theory is anything but certain.
More than anything, this injury is depriving fans of enjoying young, talented pitchers throughout the season. Specifically in 2014 it seems like we're getting news of a new UCL injury at least once or twice a week. In fact, at the start of the 2014 season it was determined that 1/3 of MLB pitchers have fallen victim to a UCL tear. Just in the past four years, baseball has lost big names such as Stephen Strasburg, Adam Wainright, Brett Anderson, Joba Chaimberlain, John Lackey, Joel Zumaya, Brian Wilson, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harvey, Dylan Bundy, Brandon Beachy, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin, and Matt Moore to TJ surgery. Some (Strasburg, Wainright, Lackey) are able to bounce back after a long rehab process, while others (Anderson, Joba, Zumaya, Feliz) are never the same pitchers. For the rest of the players above, history and medical advancement shouldn't quell all fears as even though there has been tremendous progress with the surgery itself, there is still no guarantee that a pitcher will be as effective when he returns.
There doesn't seem to be a cut-and-dry method to predict or prevent any pitcher from tearing their UCL. It's impossible to know if Jose Fernandez would have suffered this injury had the Marlins removed his innings cap last season or if a pitch limit has saved Garrit Cole from an injury so far. Unfortunately for baseball fans and fantasy owners, the bubbling epidemic of UCL tears is something that can strike at any moment and put a sizeable hole in your champion-ship. All we can do is hope that the Tommy John whammy doesn't raid the pitching staff of our favorite team and fantasy pitching staff but chances are that little bastard has already stolen one of your young and promising stars in the annual game of Press Your Luck. It's an awful feeling to lose a player to Tommy John surgery but the recent trend of UCL injuries means we are likely in for more bad news and we're probably getting that bad news in the near future.
The Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) is a thick triangular band at the medial aspect of the elbow uniting the distal aspect of the With the increased awareness of UCL injuries, teams are monitoring their young pitchers now more than ever. Pitch counts, mechanics, and medical attention are all taken very seriously by every major league team and yet an increasing amount of major league and minor league pitchers are being lost now more than ever before. While there are varying opinions as to why this injury is occurring more frequently, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when a UCL injury might take place. A correlation can be made with harder throwing pitchers and UCL injuries but the connection is still under review. Pitchers are throwing the ball harder now then ever before and many of the pitchers who suffer from elbow problems also seem to throw a little harder than their counterparts but this theory is anything but certain.
More than anything, this injury is depriving fans of enjoying young, talented pitchers throughout the season. Specifically in 2014 it seems like we're getting news of a new UCL injury at least once or twice a week. In fact, at the start of the 2014 season it was determined that 1/3 of MLB pitchers have fallen victim to a UCL tear. Just in the past four years, baseball has lost big names such as Stephen Strasburg, Adam Wainright, Brett Anderson, Joba Chaimberlain, John Lackey, Joel Zumaya, Brian Wilson, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harvey, Dylan Bundy, Brandon Beachy, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin, and Matt Moore to TJ surgery. Some (Strasburg, Wainright, Lackey) are able to bounce back after a long rehab process, while others (Anderson, Joba, Zumaya, Feliz) are never the same pitchers. For the rest of the players above, history and medical advancement shouldn't quell all fears as even though there has been tremendous progress with the surgery itself, there is still no guarantee that a pitcher will be as effective when he returns.
There doesn't seem to be a cut-and-dry method to predict or prevent any pitcher from tearing their UCL. It's impossible to know if Jose Fernandez would have suffered this injury had the Marlins removed his innings cap last season or if a pitch limit has saved Garrit Cole from an injury so far. Unfortunately for baseball fans and fantasy owners, the bubbling epidemic of UCL tears is something that can strike at any moment and put a sizeable hole in your champion-ship. All we can do is hope that the Tommy John whammy doesn't raid the pitching staff of our favorite team and fantasy pitching staff but chances are that little bastard has already stolen one of your young and promising stars in the annual game of Press Your Luck. It's an awful feeling to lose a player to Tommy John surgery but the recent trend of UCL injuries means we are likely in for more bad news and we're probably getting that bad news in the near future.