How The Texas Rangers Can Stay Healthy and (Maybe) Win a Pennant

Lead image photo credit: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For the casual fan who watches their favorite Major League Baseball team compete over the (very long) season of 162 games, injuries to players are often ignored and seen as “just a part of the game.” However, for the players, these injuries affect their playing time and thus their performance incentives and, in some cases, can be career ending,

In thinking about injuries in the sport of baseball, many players and fans see arm injuries as the most common, However, recent research from New York Presbyterian and Major League Baseball notes, “Due to the exposure to unique sets of high-frequency repetitive motions, spinal injuries are more common than you would think. In fact, with the number of players increasing on the injured list annually, back injuries are the sixth most prevalent form of injury, with rates estimated at 12%.”

Every year, teams like the Texas Rangers have players who are lost for part or all the season due to back and spine injuries, In the early months of the 2025 season, these injuries have caused many Rangers to spend time on the “injured reserve” list.

If you or your child is a baseball player and experiencing back pain from a game injury, and after trying conservative treatment such as OTC pain medications and rest, the pain persists, click here to set an appointment with the spine experts at Texas Back Institute.

A Spine Expert Calls the Game on Avoiding Back Injuries

Dr. Jon Ahn is a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute. He is also an avid Texas Rangers fan! This makes him a great resource for explaining the causes and prevention of back injuries in professional and amateur baseball players.

“There are several common neck and spine injuries among professional baseball players,” he notes. Dr. Ahn points to six of the most likely reasons a player might show up on IR.

1. Cervical strain or sprain which may be related to abrupt and intense head and neck movements during either batting, sliding or outfield dives.
2. Cervical disc herniation, which may be related to repetitive stress or trauma, and can be more common in aging players which may cause neck pain or symptoms with numbness and tingling or pain down their arms or weakness.
3. Repetitive twisting emotions in both pitchers and batters can result in mid back pain with tightness or spasms or altered throwing mechanics.
4. Players may develop lumbar strain or pain related to facet arthropathy with repetitive hyper extension during pitching or swinging the bat or diving.
5. Players may also have undiagnosed spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis with a pre-existing stress fracture of the pars interarticularis which can be exacerbated or worsened by motions requiring extension of their back.
6. Lumbar disc herniation, which can be related to an accumulation of effects of high intensity, twisting, turning, throwing, or diving with resultant pain or numbness or tingling down the legs or weakness.

Pitchers Vs. Hitters

Photo credit: Mike LaChance, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Because of the physical mechanics of pitching, there can be some variation in the patterns of injury in the neck and the spine for baseball pitchers versus hitters,” Dr. Ahn notes.

“For example, pitchers can have a higher risk for spine and neck injuries due to the velocity needed to compete in major league baseball. This high velocity and repeated spinal rotation and extension through the lumbar and thoracic spines with asymmetric loading during the pitching mechanics can increase the risk for compensatory motion through the neck. 

“Also, pitchers who are successful and stay in games for a longer period of time, will have a higher pitch count. The cumulative workload across the games and bullpen sessions can increase the risk of neck and spine injuries.”

Let’s Hear It for YOUR Texas Rangers!

Dr. Ahn has a gameplan for preventing back injuries for the Texas Rangers. It includes:

• Screening players for proper mechanics and movement, including preseason, functional movement screens and potentially having mechanical analysis utilizing 3-D technology. This is to identify any asymmetry as well as limitations and trunk rotation or hip mobility.
• Instituting core as well as scapular stability programs which target the abdominal muscles, the para spinal muscles and scapular stabilizing muscles to reduce the compensatory workload of the spine during throwing and swinging.
• Following pitch count and workload management as strategies to decrease the risk of injury. As such, adherence to rest intervals and pitch counts as well as actively monitoring indicators for fatigue or any factors that may introduce further asymmetry load on the body is recommended.
• Strength and conditioning should include priority on focusing on rotational strength as well as control and anti-rotation. This needs to be stressed in the off-season training as well as during the season for maintenance.
• Focus on postures and economics during day-to-day life during travel, flights, locker room habits, as well as dietary habits and support for the players cervical spine, and the lumbar spine should be practiced, even if those patients do not have active pain.

Avoiding the Occupational Hazards of Baseball

While it may be cliche’ to repeat, injuries ARE a part of the game of any sport, including baseball. However, these injuries can be mitigated with proper conditioning and an understanding of the mechanics of the sport. 

Dr. Ahn concludes, “For the 2025 Texas Rangers, injury mitigation should include careful preseason screening, individualized strength and mobility training, monitoring the workload, as well as the pitch counts for players during the season. Early detection of biomechanical deficits is recommended as the motion involved for professional baseball players are inherently asymmetric. In addition, all the players should be counseled on adherence to the preventive strategies during the season, which can include strength and conditioning and remaining flexible as well as careful adjustment of diet as well as lifestyle factors.”

Don’t let injuries keep you out of the game. If back pain is affecting your quality of life, click here to make an appointment with a spine specialist at Texas Back Institute.