Tommy John Surgery

[spideyo]

Anyone have any actual numbers that would back up or refute the claims I've seen that the Twins have more pitchers getting TJ than any other club?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Here:

 

http://www.mlbdepthcharts.com/2010/08/tommy-john-tracker.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_John_surgery#List_of_notable_baseball_players_who_underwent_the_surgery

 

I don't think it is a unique problem to Twins pitchers, I think we just had a rash of them in quick succession - Liriano, Nathan, Gibson, Zumaya and now Scott Baker..

[spideyo]

To be fair to the Twins, Liriano was in 2006, Neshek was in 2008 (neither of which were really a surprise given their mechanics), and the Twins had absolutely nothing to do with Zumaya's injury.

 

So that leaves Nathan in 2010, Gibson in 2011, and Baker in 2012. At one a year, that doesn't exactly seem like it's an overwhelming number compared to other clubs, especially with how common the surgery is becoming.

[DaveW]

To be fair to the Twins, Liriano was in 2006, Neshek was in 2008 (neither of which were really a surprise given their mechanics), and the Twins had absolutely nothing to do with Zumaya's injury.

 

So that leaves Nathan in 2010, Gibson in 2011, and Baker in 2012. At one a year, that doesn't exactly seem like it's an overwhelming number compared to other clubs, especially with how common the surgery is becoming.

Between the minors and majors you are looking at about 20-25 players a year. At basically 4 in the past 3 years or so it's not a huge anomaly.

 

Pitchers just get hurt, the human arm was never meant to throw over hand in such a motion. Liriano was traded to the Twins because he was always an injury risk, Gibson had previous arm problems (which is why he dropped from top 5 pick down to the 20's) and I don't see how the Twins could have possibly done anything wrong in regards to Nathan.

 

At the end of the day I think it's just bad luck.

[spideyo]

Yeah, the only way you're really going to be able to significantly cut down on TJ surgeries, is by a fundamental shift in expectations of pitchers and basic pitching mechanics at all levels, and that isn't going to happen any time soon.

[edavis0308]

Wimmers is having arm problems. It'll only be another 6 months of rest and rehab before he succombs to TJ.