In an period when MLB groups try to guard younger pitchers with strict pitch counts, the Pittsburgh Pirates face a dilemma with rookie Paul Skenes.
Regardless of these measures, 2024 has seen a spike in arm accidents amongst prime pitchers, questioning their effectiveness. The Pirates, with a traditionally frugal proprietor, could not signal Skenes long-term. Ought to they protect his arm or maximize his worth now?
Notable pitchers lacking vital time this season embody Spencer Strider, Shane McClanahan, Sandy Alcantara, Jacob deGrom, Shane Bieber and Gerrit Cole. Numerous theories try to clarify the reason for the arm damage epidemic, together with the pitch clock, rising velocity and analytics.
Max Scherzer believes MLB’s 2021 “sticky stuff” ban and ensuing grip points are accountable. Rob Manfred counters that accidents have truly decreased since implementing the sticky-substance rule.
Throwing a baseball on the most hyper-competitive degree is extremely irritating on the arm — particularly the shoulder, rotator cuff and, most critically, that tiny little ligament whose well being determines the distinction between profitable and shedding, riches and smash.
“These days it isn’t ‘if,’ it is extra doubtless ‘when’ it’ll occur,” Oakland Athletics supervisor Mark Kotsay said of arm accidents, per Mark Macyk of MLB.com.
Skenes is not an exception to the rule. He was faraway from his final begin after throwing seven shutout, no-hit innings versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
Skenes threw 99 pitches, and his supervisor, Derek Shelton, explained to the media why he pulled Skenes.
“He was drained,” Shelton mentioned. “It actually didn’t have something to do with the pitch depend … It was about the place he was at.”
This got here after Skenes wanted only six pitches to get by means of his remaining inning of labor. His season-high is 107 pitches, which he hit in his earlier begin in opposition to the New York Mets on July 5.