Houston Astros Ace Concerned By MLB's Injury Epidemic

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander shared his thoughts on MLB's pitcher injury epidemic.

Feb 16, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) looks on during spring training practice at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 MLB season isn't even two weeks old, and several big-name starting pitchers have already suffered serious injuries.

Last week alone, MLB lost Eury Perez and Shane Bieber to Tommy John surgery, knocking them out for the rest of the season, and Spencer Strider could join them with his own UCL sprain. Meanwhile, pitching stars like Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Sonny Gray have started the year on the shelf and have yet to make their season debuts.

With so many top arms dealing with injuries, many critics have been quick to blame MLB's pitch clock, which was instituted last year. Some think it doesn't give pitchers enough time between pitches and forces them to rush their deliveries, causing injury.

Verlander, who is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury at the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate, and has previously undergone Tommy John surgery himself, shared his thoughts on the situation during a recent interview with Ari Alexander.

Justin Verlander on the rash of pithcer injuries:

"...I think the game has changed a lot, it would be easiest to blame the pitch clock, in reality everything has a little bit of influence, the biggest thing is the style of pitching has changed so much, everyone is throwing as… pic.twitter.com/rzmvwhB27R

— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) April 7, 2024

Verlander acknowledged the potential impact of the pitch clock but thinks there are other factors at play as well, including the emphasis on increased velocity and spin rate which may be pushing pitchers beyond their natural limits.

The 41-year-old has seen the game evolve a lot over the past two decades since he debuted in 2005. The increased focus on analytics and desire to increase strikeouts has led to pitchers throwing harder than ever before, causing them to break down more frequently.

Verlander has been a rare exception, exceeding 500 starts and 3,300 innings in his MLB career. He's been one of the most durable pitchers of the 21st century, but even he hasn't been immune to occasional injuries.

Given Verlander's intimate knowledge of pitching and its effects on the body, MLB should listen to him and other hurlers as it attempts to address this issue plaguing the sport.