Is It Time to Allow HGH Use Again?

SDSportsFan

With the current rash of MLB players on the Injured List (Judge, Ohtani, Trout, Altuve, Kershaw, Blackmon, Y Alvarez, DeGrom, D May, G Lux, Rodon, Cueto.....); 243+ players on the IL so far in 2023.....

Is it time MLB allows players to use HGH, or something else to promote faster healing of injuries; and help them get back on the field. No one wants their favorite athlete to constantly miss action because they are always injured.

It just seems that more players are injured, and they are injured more often, than in previous years, when they were allowed to use "stuff".

Steve

perkdog

I'll get flamed but I don't care

Let them use it, the game along with training and supplements has evolved, just break down the record books for different eras.

A guy who played in 1920 shouldn't be judged against a modern player

JoeBanzai

It's my understanding that HGH and steroids can be used to treat injuries, but there is a protocol involved.
I see no problem with doctor supervised league approved treatments.
MLB and the union should be willing to work together to reduce the time a player is out with injury.
Will we have to wait until the collective bargaining agreement expires ,(and ANOTHER strike/lockout) to work on this?
Letting the players self medicate with illegally obtained drugs isn't the answer.

Basebal21

MLB doesnt actually care about injuries. If they wanted to reduce pitching injuries they would get rid of or extend the pitch clock, they would also let pitchers use sticky stuff that reduces the stress on your forearm and elbow not making you grip the ball so tight. They care about their brand and revenue, the players are nothing but a commodity to them. Theyre also the worst league at promoting their superstars which partially stems from them wanting to be the star not the players.

HGH and most forms of roids are banned and tested for under every circumstance, theres no doctor exception unless you leave the country and you just arent important enough for them to track down. HGH should be legal but that gets into a whole different discussion about money and prescription meds and the potential loss of billions a year in revenue.

Injuries are always going to be apart of the game, but the faster the pace of play the more you will see them,

JoeBanzai

Pitchers never got hurt before the pitch clock.

Tabe

@JoeBanzai said:
Pitchers never got hurt before the pitch clock.

I know. It was awesome the way Sandy Koufax was able to pitch into his 40s.

SDSportsFan

@JoeBanzai said:
Pitchers never got hurt before the pitch clock.

Then why have there been so many "Tommy John" surgeries over the years?

Steve

Basebal21

@SDSportsFan said:

@JoeBanzai said:
Pitchers never got hurt before the pitch clock.

Then why have there been so many "Tommy John" surgeries over the years?

Steve

Velocity and pitching style of being slider heavy. You can even go back to youth baseball where kids are throwing far far more than the past where baseball was for summer and youd play something else in the winter. But yea its well known that many players were using things like HGH before it started being tested for. The fast pitch clock is just going to exacerbate the issues

perkdog

My girlfriends kid is 12 and he plays little league, summer league and whatever other leagues they play these days, it's a lot.

They put these kids at 12 years old on pitch counts, it was surprising to me to see that.

JoeBanzai

@SDSportsFan said:

@JoeBanzai said:
Pitchers never got hurt before the pitch clock.

Then why have there been so many "Tommy John" surgeries over the years?

Steve

I was being sarcastic.

The pitch clock has absolutely nothing to do with pitching injuries.

The game had degraded to a contest on how long pitchers and hitters could stand around and do nothing. The pitch clock is far and away the best decision made in baseball since 1947.

Basebal21

@perkdog said:
My girlfriends kid is 12 and he plays little league, summer league and whatever other leagues they play these days, it's a lot.

They put these kids at 12 years old on pitch counts, it was surprising to me to see that.

Its really kind of insane what they do with it now. When its said and done kids are playing 80-100 game schedules a year depending on what part of the country theyre in.

Even with the pitch counts now its still high and kids that play multiple leagues could still be throwing 3 or 4 days a week. You can basically do whatever you want to your arm until youre like 14, you end up paying for it when youre 17 or 19 etc. Its better now than it used to be back when youd see a kid throw 140 pitches in the first game and be catching in the second game, but the pitch counts are still high and kids are getting encouraged to throw sliders at a younger and younger age.