C-Mac on why pitcher injuries continue to skyrocket across MLB

Pitchers are getting hurt more than ever before in baseball, as Gerrit Cole, Shane Bieber, and Spencer Strider are just some of the big names who have had major elbow scares or Tommy John surgery necessities in recent weeks.

Some have pointed to the pitch clock as the reasoning behind the injury spike, opining that pitchers are being forced to rush through their routines and, in turn, open themselves up to injury. C-Mac says the real problem is how much pitchers are pushing themselves to satisfy the new expectation across the league that nearly all hurlers have to reach the upper 90s with their fastballs.

“Radar guns get you drafted,” C-Mac said. “Everything is about that radar gun and max velocity on every single pitch, and throwing breaking balls as hard as you can possibly throw them.

“If you look back in time when all the pitchers were healthy, you’ll find they threw a lot quicker. I understand the pitch clock was thrust upon them and it’s a sudden change. I’m not saying it has no role in what’s going on, but this happened well before the pitch clock. This is about max velocity on every pitch.”

Listen to C-Mac’s full thoughts on the injury wave via the clip above.