Shoulder and Elbow Range of Motion Can Be Maintained in Major League Baseball Pitchers Over the Course of the Season, Regardless of Pitching Workload

Abstract

Background: Studies examining the evolution of shoulder and elbow range of motion (ROM) in baseball pitchers over a single season have yielded inconsistent results. Purpose: To evaluate shoulder and elbow ROM in Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers over a single season and to assess for correlations between these changes and measures of a pitcher’s workload. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Bilateral shoulder ROM (internal rotation [IR], external rotation [ER], and total range of motion [TROM]) was assessed in 92 MLB pitchers pre- and postseason. Shoulder forward flexion (FF) was measured in 64 pitchers, horizontal adduction (HA) was measured in 87 pitchers, and elbow ROM was measured in 86 pitchers. Data collected included demographics (age, height, weight, and body mass index) and measures of workload for pitchers (pitches thrown, innings pitched, and mean fastball velocity). Pitchers were not specifically excluded if they had an injury during the season but had recovered and were actively pitching at the time of postseason measurements. The change in motion from pre- to postseason was measured and the associations with player demographics and workload were calculated by use of the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: On average, pitchers demonstrated an increase in dominant shoulder ER from 118.8° to 125.4° (P