This week’s topics include:

• “hooking”: a mechanical flaw of the wrist. What it is, how to troubleshoot it, and suggestions for how to make the adjustment are discussed.
• “neuritis” of the elbow (ulnar nerve inflammation) is also discussed with some recommendations for how to avoid the problem.
• Why some pitchers seem to constantly be injured. Listen to Angel’s opinion on why this isn’t bad luck, genes, or fragility. Her take on the problem offers a timeless solution.

What the MLB can do to fill the missing piece in preventing and managing injuries.

How to make important decisions about summer ball: to play or not to play?

Troubleshooting the pitching motion: unwanted head/neck tilt toward the pitching arm

So many injuries, and unusual ones, continue to plague the MLB. Angel makes an interesting point about what the MLB is not yet doing for management and prevention. And for all pitchers who finishing up their Spring Season and are wondering how to proceed, Angel gives some guidelines for making decisions for not just now, but the rest of the year. And in keeping with teaching coaches about mechanics, Angel talks about the problems with a head tilt in the direction of the pitching arm.

Signs and symptoms of problems with your pitching arm

Pitching injuries to the obliques

Pitching injuries to the lat muscle

Products advertised to improve velocity: how to evaluate

Wei-Yin Chen - dead arm, tired arm, or elbow injury? Angel explains why there may have been confusion about Chen's injury, as well as the warning signs to heed in pitchers with similar symptoms.

Referencing Cole Hamels’ oblique injury, Angel talks about how a pitcher injures the oblique as well as the associated risks involved. She also explains how the obliques work in trunk rotation, acceleration, and deceleration.

Using Noah Syndergaard as a talking point: how and why do pitchers injure their lat muscle? Angel goes into detail explaining what the lat muscle is, where it is located, what it is connected to, and its role in the pitching motion. Further, she explains how pitchers can strain and injure the lat -- as well as, how to prevent injury to it and what to do when it does get injured.

And are you a baseball pitcher looking for an edge through a velocity program or product? There are dozens, if not hundreds, of programs, devices, gadgets, contraptions, and other products that are designed with the intention to improve baseball pitching velocity and performance. Which, if any, should you invest in, and why or why not?

Bumgarner, Syndergaard, and Hernandez: the injuries of these three aces are discussed

“Dead arm”: what it is, early signs and detection, and who is most vulnerable

Bullpens: how to create a philosophy, a calendar and a system that will never let you down

Madison Bumgarner's dirt bike accident left him with an injured AC joint. Angel explains what that means and why she's just as, if not more, concerned about his ribs. Noah Syndergaard: we recorded this episode before "Thor" tore his lat muscle, so in this show we discuss his biceps tendinitis / "tired arm" issue, and how it is related to the elbow bone spur that he suffered last season. And with the news of King Felix's "dead arm," Angel explains what, exactly, "dead arm" is, how it happens, what pitchers need to do when it happens, and further risks involved with that type of injury. Angel answers a listener's question about bullpen sessions for starting pitchers. Specifically, when they should happen in between starts, how many pitches should be thrown, and how many days before a start they should occur.

Forearm soreness to a forearm tear: how to avoid this preventable injury.

What can happen around the plate when a pitcher “throws across his body”.

Recovery: to ice or not to ice… instructions for those precious moments after pitching.

No pain, no gain? Baseball pitching motion troubleshooter Angel Borrelli explains the difference between routine soreness and the kind of pain that requires immediate attention. Speaking of pain and injury, both Clay Buchholz and James Kaprielian have gone down with the same issue: a torn flexor tendon; Angel provides the lowdown on that injury. Also, is it "throwing across the body," or "stepping across the body"? Looking at David Price's motion as an example, Angel tells us why she prefers the latter description, and how that style could lead to elbow problems. Finally, in the "Getting It Done (with Science)" segment, a listener's question is answered regarding post-game recovery, including whether a pitcher should ice down his arm after an outing and if running is a good idea the day after.

This Week

"The Curveball - All You Need To Know, From the Wrist Action To the Age"?

In the "opening day" episode, baseball pitching motion troubleshooter Angel Borrelli provides reasons for the glut of pitching injuries during spring training. Also, she and Joe Janish discuss Jordan Schafer's elbow injury, and the risks of converting position players to the mound.

Finally, during the sport science segment, Angel discusses the three key pitching-motion essentials involved in throwing a curveball, the research on the forces, and tips on the determining the age and teaching methods for youth pitchers.