551 MEP021 – Hitting-related oblique injuries in major league baseball: a systematic video analysis of injuries over two seasons (2021 – 2022)

AbstractBackground The abdominal muscles, especially the oblique muscles, are key drivers of rotational activities such as swinging a bat in baseball. Oblique injuries are prevalent in baseball players, and understanding the situations and mechanisms that lead to oblique injuries is crucial to the design of effective prevention strategies.Objective To describe the situational patterns of hitting-related oblique abdominal injuries sustained in professional baseball players playing in Major League Baseball (MLB).Design Retrospective systematic video analysis of oblique abdominal injuries.Setting Professional baseball; MLB.Participants Professional baseball athletes participating in the regular MLB seasons from 2021 to 2022.Main Outcome Measurements Side of injury, handedness of batter during hitting and throwing, number of games missed, swing outcome, hitting count, and pitch velocity and location.Results Of the 60 injuries that occurred during the regular season (1 injury per 162 games), 12 (20%) were clearly identified on video footage as hitting-related injuries and included in the video analysis. Eight injuries (67%) occurred to the leading side (i.e. R oblique injury for a right-handed hitter). In players that hit and throw from the same side (n=8), all of them had leading-side injuries. The median number of games missed was 27 games (range 10 to 62 games). Nine injuries (75%) occurred on a swing (n=6 on contact and n=3 on swing and miss), and three (25%) occurred on checked swings. All three injuries that occurred when the hitter swung and missed the ball were when the hitter was "late" to the ball.Conclusions More than half of these injuries happen when the hitter makes contact with the ball. All hitters that hit and throw from the same side had leading-side injuries.