Virtually all young pitchers today don’t have much of an off season thanks to the popularity of travel teams and the mix of prep, summer and fall leagues. This has created an upturn in elbow and shoulder injuries at a early age for pitchers who sadly are not allowing themselves an off season to recover and rebuild. I found myself a victim of this cycle throughout my personal career. I received rotator cuff surgery at eighteen to fix a torn supraspinatus immediately after my first college start. Three of the common issues contributing to my tear, the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), lead by the famous Dr. James Andrews, has defined as the explanation for the increase in elbow and shoulder injuries in youth pitchers in their Position Statement released this season. Continue reading →