Baseball Players and Blood Clot Prevention

By Frankie Wallace
Updated: May 4, 2020

There are some common injuries and health issues associated with baseball, including torn rotator cuffs, sprains, and knee injuries. But blood clots — especially in young players — are often overlooked as a potential health risk.

Baseball players are actually more at risk of developing blood clots than most people realize, especially because they use their arms so frequently. Unfortunately, blood clots can be serious and even deadly. An average of 274 people die each day from blood clots, and ballplayers aren’t immune.

Health issues like deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and Pitching-Induced Coagulation and Neuropathy Syndrome are a few of the health issues that can lead to dangerous blood clots in baseball players, even those playing in the minor leagues or at a collegiate or high school level. Let’s look at what puts players at risk, how blood clots have impacted the league, and what can be done to help prevent them.

What Causes Blood Clots?

According to the Mayo Clinic, blood clots form when certain parts of the blood thicken and form a solid mass. Many times, they can be caused by an existing injury or condition, or from long periods of being sedentary.

So why are athletes prone to them? For baseball players, there are several factors that can put them at risk of blood clots forming, including:

Dehydration
Traveling long distances on planes/buses
Trauma to a part of the body
Immobilization (due to a cast, brace, or other compression)

Genetic history of underlying conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can also put an athlete at a greater risk of developing blood clots. DVT can be caused by over-using the muscles in the upper body. Since baseball players have to use their arms for pretty much everything, it’s understandable why DVT could be so common. It causes blood in a large vein of the upper body not to be able to flow properly. As a result, it can clot and the player can experience anything from redness and swelling to pain in the arm.

Blood clots can affect athletes at any age, and since high school athletes are just as prone to injuries as the pros. Pitchers are typically found to be most at risk of developing blood clots, but catchers are also at an increased risk of experiencing blood vessel issues in their hands and upper bodies due to the repetitive force of catching a ball and throwing it back.

How Do Blood Clots Impact Players?

Unfortunately, there is quite a long history of blood clots affecting baseball players. Some have been more serious than others.

For example, pitcher Tom Glavine missed only 14 days in 2006 due to a clot or “freckling” in his hand and it was treated with aspirin to thin the blood. Kip Wells, on the other hand, struggled with blood clots for a long time between 2006-2008 and ended up having to have surgery.

As recently as 2019, Rockies relief pitcher Scott Oberg had to give up the rest of his season because he woke up with his arm feeling “heavy.” Oberg was no stranger to blood clots and claims he knew right away what was wrong. As a result, he had to undergo a full vascular surgery, going under the knife for clots for the second time in four years.

Blood clots aren’t necessarily a chronic condition for pitchers. But pitching causes the arm to move in an unnatural way, which can eventually cause injuries and issues with blood flow.

Can They Be Prevented?

Blood clots can occur in anyone, and because baseball players have to be as active as possible, there may always be an increased risk. But there are certain things players can do to prevent injuries, and therefore reduce the risk of developing a clot. Some of the simplest ways to keep from getting injured on the field include:

Stretching/warming up
Resting between practices/games
Strengthening/training your body
Never playing through the pain

Using proper technique and good form can also make a difference when it comes to reducing your risk of injury. It’s important, especially for pitchers, to have the right form when they’re releasing the ball.

While each man at the mound might have their own personal style, using biomechanics to break down everything from the wind-up and stride to cocking and help pitchers to see where they might be setting themselves up to get hurt. When you put the practice of biomechanics into play, you can learn more about the overall motion of the body, and even improve your pitching style.

It’s important that players of all ages are aware of the risks of blood clots, injuries, and health issues like DVT. As you can see from the history of blood clots, it can be especially important to educate yourself if you’re a pitcher or you know someone who is pitching with improper form. Working to prevent blood clots or reduce your risk will not only increase the longevity of your career but can help you to avoid a lot of pain, potential surgery, or even an emergency situation.