USA TODAY reports on an increase in elbow injuries in the MLB in an interview with David W. Altchek, MD, co-chief emeritus of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute and Medical Director for the New York Mets.

Baseball continues to be stricken with their nightmare epidemic: elbow injuries. Elbow and shoulder injuries have increased 44% from just a year ago, according to Baseball Prospectus research.  

“There have been a lot of studies done and looked at variables about the ulnar ligament injuries,’’ said Dr. Altchek, “but the only issue that clearly stands out is velocity. Guys throwing harder will have higher incidents of injuries that ligament. Throwing harder really seems to make a big difference. 

“The second thing is there’s a lot of debate over using weighted balls in workouts. Throwing those does increase velocity, but at what cost? If it’s not done effectively, it does increase incidents and injuries to the UCL,’’ he added.  

Read the full article at USAtoday.com.