Overuse Injuries in Youth Baseball

Overuse injuries happen when the same motion is repeated too often without enough rest. In baseball, throwing puts high stress on the arm. Muscles, tendons, and growth plates can’t recover fast enough, which leads to breakdown and injury.

• Common in pitchers, catchers, and position players who throw frequently
• Build up gradually — pain might start mild but gets worse with time
• Often sidelined for weeks or months if untreated

• Little League Shoulder
  • Growth plate stress in the upper arm (proximal humerus)
  • Symptoms: pain on top/outside of the shoulder, decreased throwing velocity

• Little League Elbow
  • Stress on the inside elbow growth plate from repetitive throwing
  • Symptoms: inner elbow pain, swelling, reduced throwing accuracy
     
• Flexor/Pronator Tendon Strain
  • Muscle/tendon strain from overuse in pitchers
  • Symptoms: pain in forearm during throwing
     
• UCL Injuries (Tommy John risk)
  • Damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow
  • Symptoms: pain, loss of velocity, instability

• Arm pain that doesn’t go away with rest
• Drop in throwing speed or accuracy
• Stiffness, swelling, or tenderness around the elbow/shoulder
• Needing longer to warm up than usual
• Pain that wakes a player up at night
   

Rule of thumb: Pain is not normal. Soreness after throwing might happen, but sharp, persistent, or swelling pain means stop and rest.

• Pitching too many games or innings in a short time
• Ignoring pitch count and rest day guidelines
• Throwing year-round without breaks
• Playing for multiple teams in the same season
• Skipping arm care and recovery routines

• Follow Pitch Count & Rest Guidelines
• Take Seasonal Breaks — at least 2–3 months off from overhead throwing each year
• Strength & Arm Care Routines — use our Arm Care 10
• Listen to Pain — rest early, don’t push through
• Work With Coaches & Parents — communication prevents overuse before it happens 

• Stop throwing immediately
• Apply ice and rest for at least a few days 
• If pain persists beyond 4–5 days → see a sports medicine doctor 
• Don’t return to throwing until cleared