How Baseball & Softball Players Can Protect Their Shoulders All Season

Shoulder injuries are one of the most common problems for throwing athletes. Whether you’re a pitcher, infielder, outfielder, or catcher, keeping your shoulders healthy through a long season is the difference between consistency and frustration. At TRC+ in Boise, we see athletes every week who don’t necessarily have a “torn” shoulder — they just have one that’s overworked, imbalanced, or breaking down from repetitive stress. The good news is that most of these issues can be prevented with the right preparation, strength work, and recovery routine.

Why the Shoulder Is So Vulnerable in Throwing Sports

The throwing motion is a high-velocity, high-stress movement. Each pitch or throw creates rapid rotation through the shoulder joint at speeds exceeding 7,000 degrees per second — one of the fastest motions in all of sports. Over time, this repetitive demand leads to microtrauma, inflammation, and eventual breakdown if not managed properly.

Research shows that loss of internal rotation (GIRD) and rotator cuff weakness are two of the biggest predictors of shoulder injuries in baseball and softball players (Wilk et al., 2020, PMCID: PMC6365063). Pitch count and fatigue are also major risk factors — throwing more than 75 pitches in a single outing or 600+ over a season significantly increases the odds of shoulder or elbow injury (Fleisig et al., 2011, PMCID: PMC3445126). Even position players are not immune: a seven-year review of collegiate athletes found over 3,400 shoulder injuries among batters, with rotator cuff strains and labral injuries being the most common (Shaha et al., 2022, PMCID: PMC9210489).

How to Keep Your Shoulders Durable All Season

Protecting your shoulder requires more than a good warm-up. It’s a combination of strength, mobility, mechanics, recovery, and workload management — and all five matter.

Start with consistent arm-care and rotator-cuff strengthening. Exercises like banded external rotations, prone “Y/T/W” raises, rows, and face-pulls should be staples in any baseball or softball player’s weekly routine. A recent study showed that targeted external-rotation strengthening was as effective as stretching alone for reducing shoulder and elbow injuries in high-school pitchers (Takahashi et al., 2022, PMCID: PMC9772170).

Next, maintain mobility, especially internal rotation. The “sleeper stretch,” cross-body reach, and posterior capsule work can restore motion lost during long throwing cycles. Shoulder injury-prevention programs that include both mobility and strengthening have been shown to reduce overall injury rates (Peterson et al., 2024, PubMed ID 38311104).

Workload management is equally critical. Track your total throws each week, avoid throwing through pain or fatigue, and give your arm adequate rest days. Throwing while fatigued can raise your injury risk by as much as 4×, even in youth and amateur players (Fleisig et al., 2011). Coaches and parents should monitor volume just as closely as velocity.

Lastly, refine your throwing mechanics and kinetic-chain sequencing. When the lower body or trunk isn’t transferring energy properly, the shoulder has to absorb the excess load — and that’s when things start to break down. Proper mechanics, scapular control, and posture ensure force is distributed evenly throughout the body (Aguinaldo & Escamilla, 2019, PMCID: PMC5825337).

A Simple Shoulder-Care Routine for the Week

Here’s a basic shoulder-health routine athletes can add 2–3 times per week, ideally on lighter throwing days or recovery days:

1. Warm-up & Mobility (5–10 min)
   Light cardio, arm circles, banded shoulder movements, and posterior capsule stretches.

2. Strength Work (2–3 sets of 12–20 reps)

   • Banded external rotations

   • Prone “T/Y/W” raises

   • Scapular rows or band pull-aparts

   • Face pulls or cable rows focusing on posture

3. Movement & Control
   Add anti-rotation press, controlled scapular motion drills, or light long-toss progressions.

4. Recovery & Maintenance
   Use soft-tissue work (foam roller, lacrosse ball, cupping), contrast therapy, or compression to reduce tightness and inflammation.

When to Get Checked

If you notice persistent soreness lasting more than 48–72 hours, pain during the follow-through phase, loss of shoulder rotation, or any “catching” or instability sensations, don’t ignore them. These can be early signs of impingement or labral strain. Early intervention — whether that’s soft-tissue work, joint mobility, or chiropractic adjustments — can prevent a small irritation from turning into a season-ending injury.

The Boise Edge: Staying Game-Ready All Year

In a city like Boise, where athletes train year-round and bounce between school seasons, club teams, and travel ball, shoulder longevity becomes a real challenge. The dry climate and frequent weekend tournaments can wear athletes down faster than they realize. That’s why the most successful local players don’t just react to pain — they stay proactive about recovery, mobility, and performance care.

At TRC+, our approach is simple: keep athletes moving, aligned, and resilient. Whether it’s combining manual therapy, soft-tissue work, cupping, compression, or mobility training, the goal is the same — keep you healthy enough to play at your highest level all season long.

Sources:

• Wilk KE et al., J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2020; PMCID: PMC6365063

• Fleisig GS et al., Sports Health. 2011; PMCID: PMC3445126

• Shaha JS et al., Orthop J Sports Med. 2022; PMCID: PMC9210489

• Takahashi K et al., Am J Sports Med. 2022; PMCID: PMC9772170

• Peterson J et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024; PubMed ID 38311104

• Aguinaldo AL & Escamilla RF, Sports Med. 2019; PMCID: PMC5825337