MLB Rumors: Trevor Bauer Getting Blamed For Rise In Pitcher Injuries

The surge in pitching injuries within Major League Baseball (MLB) has ignited heated debates, with Trevor Bauer curiously being mentioned at the center of discussions at times.

The MLB season has barely started, yet some of the biggest names in the game have already gone down with injury, including Gerrit Cole, Shane Bieber, Justin Steele, Spencer Strider, Framber Valdez, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Eury Perez, among others.

Bauer's past vocal opposition to the use of "sticky stuff" on baseballs garnered widespread attention, prompting MLB to implement a crackdown on its usage.

Tyler Glasnow made it very clear why pitchers were getting injured 2 years ago. It’s not the pitch clock

Nor even joking, this is all Trevor Bauer’s fault pic.twitter.com/Tr0XN8y4En

— Nate (@notNate99) April 7, 2024

However, this crackdown has sparked concerns that it may have inadvertently contributed to the increase in pitcher injuries.

The experience of Tyler Glasnow exemplifies the potential repercussions of MLB's enforcement of stricter rules on foreign substances.

If only there was just a really quick way to increase spin rate. Like what if you could trade for a player knowing that you could bump his spin rate a couple hundred rpm overnight...imagine the steals you could get on the trade market! If only that existed...

— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) May 1, 2018

Glasnow's partial UCL tear following the crackdown has raised questions about the correlation between the ban and heightened injury risks among pitchers.

His admission of using substances like sunscreen and rosin for grip underscores the unintended consequences of the crackdown, as pitchers now face the challenge of adjusting their throwing mechanics to compensate for the loss of grip aids.

Must-listen: Tyler Glasnow's rant on MLB's crackdown on foreign substances.

"I 100% believe that contributed to me getting hurt."

He's used the sunscreen/rosin mix, then went "cold turkey" last week against the Nats. 11Ks. But woke up sore. "I felt completely different." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/BU2qCxmrtu

— Grace Remington (@GraceRemiTV) June 15, 2021

The ongoing debate surrounding Bauer's role in the surge of pitching injuries underscores the complex situation as a whole between performance enhancement and player safety in professional baseball.

While the crackdown on sticky substances is supposed to maintain fairness and integrity in the game, its unintended impact on pitcher health cannot be overlooked. Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports