Peter Kriz, MD

Update from our database of 851 pitchers selected in 1st 5 MLB rounds (2011-20), data thru '24 season: ⚾️281 (33%) underwent primary UCL-R ⚾️Median MLB career earnings (adj. for inflation) significantly ⬆️er for middle- & late-career UCL-R vs. early-career UCL-R pitchers... 1/

New podcast: I welcome Dr. Michael Freehill, team doctor for the #Athletics and @StanfordBSB. As a shoulder/elbow expert, avid researcher, retired player, and baseball father, Dr. Freehill has unique insights about where baseball sports medicine is headed. ericcressey.com/csp-elite-base…

@dpopowich1972 @TheAMSSM @TheDrROBO @DrZSportsDoc @gretchendoliver Good question... there was a remote option as well as in-person. I assume it was recorded. AMSSM staff likely has the answer.

@NEBaseballDoc @TheAMSSM @TheDrROBO @DrZSportsDoc @gretchendoliver Can we find it online

Had a great time presenting on elbow injuries in throwing athletes with this All-Star panel in front of >2200 sports med docs at @TheAMSSM Annual Meeting in Seattle! @TheDrROBO @DrZSportsDoc @GretchenDOliver ⚾️🥎🔥

@rancadore No, you're reading that right. The study referenced in that systematic review was performed by Dr. Glenn Fleisig et al. Study population was 9-14 yos:

@NEBaseballDoc The eye popping part of the study is that there are 9-11 year olds chucking over 100 innings in a year. Or am I reading that wrong. I read that a top line Starter in College might do that.

The concern is early-"career," high-volume workload that predisposes to injury (usually growth plate injuries at that age), which then predisposes to UCL injury:

9U travel ⚾️/showcasing needs 2 be banned. HS & college pitching staffs R currently decimated w UCL inj's, and most current pitchers @ that level DNP on the 9U circuit. A tidal wave of injury is coming. More HS & college coaches need to speak out to save their future programs.

@GarethHooton @moreau_daryl @devenmorgan Gareth, I'm not sure the car analogy works. The medial elbow is exposed to traction during throwing, not compression. The UCL is not really a spring. Rubber band or resistance band? yes...

@NEBaseballDoc @moreau_daryl @devenmorgan Thanks! So more like a suspension system? (sorry, sticking to the car analogy) Weak/fatigued shocks (FDS, FCU, FDP) mean way more of that spike transfers straight to the spring (UCL) → higher risk of stretching or tearing over time? and weak springs (UCL) overwork the shocks?

In 2024, Yanai et.al found that the medial elbow muscles (FDS, FCU, FDP) are the primary valgus stabilizers, NOT the UCL. This means UCL injuries are as much a muscular capacity problem as they are a ligament problem. That’s a massive shift few are addressing.

@GarethHooton @moreau_daryl @devenmorgan pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10…

@GarethHooton @moreau_daryl @devenmorgan Yes, certainly, but the UCL & dynamic stabilizers work in tandem to prevent failure. If 1 is weakened, the other is jeopardized. Certain pitches also require ⬆️ activation of FDS & FCU. See attached excellent editorial by Dr. Michael Freehill (Stanford)... link in next comment.

Appreciate the interest in this topic from our 🇯🇵 colleagues! Great opportunities to collaborate here!

Spot-on. With LL Elbow and LL Shoulder (growth plate injuries), recurrence rates are 20-50%, usually within 8-9 months of original injury. Some institutions recommend no pitching/catching for a full calendar year after LLE/LLS.

💪🌱 La potencia muscular también se cultiva desde la infancia. Prevenir la “powerpenia pediátrica” con juego activo, saltos, carreras y fuerza adaptada ayuda a crear una reserva física que puede proteger la función muscular durante toda la vida 🧒🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️👟 bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/…

2 disturbing trends I'm seeing this spring in New England ⚾️: 1) 8th grade pitchers playing JV 2) 6th graders pitching on their middle school teams (60/90) The UCL pandemic will continue exponentially unless common sense returns to the equation. We're robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Renewed my @BostonGlobe subscription today, @GlobeKPD . Doing my part to not only keep journalism alive, but to keep that 2010 (?) Prius on the road 👊🏼

⚾ Baseball is back, and so is the latest research! Explore OJSM’s baseball sports medicine collection featuring injury, prevention, treatment, and performance insights all in one place. Explore → ow.ly/WUG150YC0r7 #OJSM #SportsMed #Baseball

In the past yr, I've tx'ed a 9 yo with a displaced medial epicondylar avulsion fx & a 12 yo with a proximal UCL avulsion requiring UCL repair w IB. In both instances, those are injuries usually seen 4-5 yrs later in development. It's going to be coach pitch in HS in a few yrs 🤷🏻‍♂️

This is Henry. He knows that if he turns right at the stop sign it means a shorter walk. Not today. 13/10

Today on #TheHotCorner, @Anthony_YuMD welcomes @NEBaseballDoc to discuss his study “Do Pitching Restriction Policies Reduce Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in High School Baseball Players?” Have the measures to keep pitchers safe implanted a decade ago worked? ow.ly/O2T150YibQK

Appreciate the opportunity to discuss our HS⚾️pitching restriction policy study & shoulder/elbow injuries with @Anthony_YuMD & @aossmjournals on The OJSM Hot Corner! Our research team will be discussing this study at 2026 AMSSM Annual Meeting in Seattle! sites.sage-publications.libsynpro.com/410582/do-pitc…