‘Throw’-Back Thursday - Hand Injuries in Baseball Players

Gopher State Champs!

For this ‘Throw’-Back Thursday we highlight Joey’s return from hand surgery. We also discuss a common hand injury in baseball players and why grip strength is important for your health.

Joey fractured his Scaphoid (small bone in the hand) while playing football last fall. He had surgery in the off-season before coming to MVP with a goal to be ready for spring baseball tryouts. Hand injuries aren’t the most frequent injuries amongst baseball players. But, a commonly fractured hand bone other than the Scaphoid is the Hamate bone. Here’s why.…

Fractured Hamates are a result of repetitive swinging when the knob of the bat repeatedly jams into the palm of the hand. There is actually a specially designed bat to help prevent Hamate injuries and for players who are returning from Hamate fractures to make swinging more comfortable.

A big part of Joey’s rehab was getting his hand and grip strength back. We often measure grip strength in baseball players because the gripping muscles are the same muscles that protect the medial elbow. A stronger grip usually means a stronger forearm and less risk for elbow injuries. Moral of the story is keep your grip and forearms strong!

Joey crushed his rehab and made it back in time for tryouts. He made his high school baseball team and then won a Gopher State Championship over the summer! He’s now back playing high school football as well.

Remember, the baseball off-season is right around the corner. If you have questions or need guidance on how to be more prepared for next season let’s chat! This is the time to get stronger!

We appreciate you being a part of the MVP family!