Sports

Dodgers Ace Tyler Glasnow Indirectly Blamed Trevor Bauer For MLB’s Pitcher Injury Problem In 2021

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Major League Baseball Elbow Injury Pitcher
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Major League Baseball has a pitcher problem. More specifically, it has a problem with its pitchers getting injured.

The list of notable starting pitchers on the IL is the most talented it has ever been.

Many of them are dealing with elbow injuries. Quite a few are recovering from, or soon to undergo Tommy John surgery.

  • Gerrit Cole
  • Jacob DeGrom
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Sandy Alcantara
  • Shane McClanahan
  • Max Scherzer
  • Shane Bieber
  • Justin Steele
  • Kodai Senga
  • Kyle Bradish
  • Brandon Woodruff
  • Sonny Gray
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Eury Perez
  • Justin Verlander
  • Eduardo Rodriguez
  • Robbie Ray
  • Drew Rasmussen
  • Jeffrey Springs
  • Gavin Williams
  • Lucas Giolito
  • Shane Baz
  • Lance McCullers Jr.
  • Jonathan Loáisiga
  • Trevor Gott
  • Bryan Woo
  • Nick Lodolo
  • Dustin May
  • Alex Cobb
  • Tony Gonsolin
  • Luis Garcia
  • John Means

Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider is going to be on that list very soon. He recently underwent an MRI that revealed damage to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament— the one that leads to Tommy John.

That list is too long and full of big names. It is a real issue that needs to be figured out. Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers’ head team physician, recently sounded the alarm on pitching injuries. Fans, players and (some) front offices share his concerns.

One group of people believes that the issue stems from an increased focus on throwing hard. The MLB Players Association pointed to the new pitch clock.

Major League Baseball pushed back on the Players Association’s statement.

Nobody really knows the exact root issue or the solution. It certainly goes far above my head, but I am not paid to figure it out. I am neither a doctor nor employed by the league.

Is Trevor Bauer at fault for Major League Baseball’s pitcher problem?

Indirectly, perhaps.

Tyler Glasnow underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2021 when he was still a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. He attributed his injury to MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances, colloquially known as sticky stuff.

The 6-foot-8 ace used to use a mix of sunscreen and rosin to get a grip on a ball. Glasnow did not need Spider Tack or anything of that nature to increase his spin rate because he has massive hands. It was simply for grip.

And then, amid the league’s crackdown, he went cold turkey. Glasnow threw 11 strikeouts but woke up sore and felt “completely different” all week. His UCL gave out in the very next start.

Glasnow had to grip the ball harder and change his grip without the mix of sunscreen and rosin.

He did not hold back his frustrations!

Glasnow clarified, again, that he never used sticky stuff to get better. It was for grip.

All he asked was for consistency with the baseballs.

That was almost three years ago. Clearly, nothing has changed.

So how is this Trevor Bauer’s fault? Well, he was the one who ultimately sparked the sticky stuff crackdown by consistently saying the quiet part out loud. The league moved quickly to crackdown on foreign substances because of him.

Glasnow made his plea in 2021. It is now 2024 and injuries continue to pile up.

Will Major League Baseball listen?