Is Your Son at Risk of Little League Elbow? 3 Red Flags Parents Miss

It’s finally here! Spring training starts this week. Pitchers and catchers are reporting, and the rest of the team will be on the field in just a few days.

But it isn’t just Spring training for the big leaguers; middle school and high school arms are ramping up for their seasons, too. Whether it's long toss or getting back on the mound, the intensity is rising. Your son is likely starting team practices or ramping up private lessons, and it’s hard not to be excited about the season ahead.

We all want our kids to perform at their best, but more importantly, we want them to stay healthy. Unfortunately, youth pitching injuries are on the rise—increasing by 15% over a five-year span.

One of the most common injuries I see in pitchers between the ages of 10 and 15 is Little League Elbow.

What is Little League Elbow?

"Little League Elbow" is the common term for Medial Epicondyle Apophysitis. In plain English, it is an irritation or injury to the growth plate located on the inner side of the elbow.

Because a child's bones are still growing, the growth plate is an area of new bone growth that hasn't fully fused yet. This makes it vulnerable to repetitive stress. Research shows that as many as 30% of youth pitchers develop this condition.

Why is this a big deal?

Continuous stress on an unfused growth plate can weaken the area further, potentially leading to an avulsion fracture, where the ligament or tendon pulls a piece of bone away. This is an "overuse" injury that requires immediate attention from a baseball physical therapist.

3 Red Flags That Most Parents Miss

1. Persistent Pain in the Inner Elbow

It sounds obvious, but this is frequently overlooked. Your son might complain of elbow pain but struggle to describe exactly how it feels or where it is.

The Trap: Many parents chalk it up to "early season soreness" because the athlete hasn't thrown much yet. You give them a few days of rest, they throw again, and the pain returns. If a teenage pitcher complains of elbow pain, a red flag should go up immediately. Seek expert care to get arm pain relief before a minor irritation becomes a season-ending injury.

2. Noticeable Performance Changes

A dip in performance doesn't always mean just not being able to get outs. Watch for these two signs:

• Velocity Drop: I’ve evaluated many players who mentioned that a few weeks before their diagnosis, their velocity dropped significantly (e.g., from 75 mph down to 68 mph) and they couldn't recover it.
• Loss of Control: The human body is brilliant at avoiding pain. To protect the elbow, a pitcher will subconsciously change their arm slot or release point. This leads to sudden struggles with accuracy and "finding the zone." 

3. A Sudden Spike in Throwing Volume

Parents often tell me, "He’s only thrown twice this year, how can it be overuse?" Think of it like running. If you haven't run in months and try to complete a marathon today, your knees and back will scream tomorrow. However, if you ran a half-mile, you’d be fine. Overuse is about the gap between what the arm is prepared for and what it is asked to do.

If the first two sessions of the year are high-intensity bullpens, or if a player jumps from 20 throws a week to 300, the body breaks down. In a teenage pitcher, the "weak link" is almost always the elbow growth plate.

Baseball Physical Therapy in Central Indiana

If you suspect your son is dealing with Little League Elbow, don't wait for it to "go away." Getting expert advice early allows for a shorter recovery time and prevents long-term damage.

At Integrated Performance, we offer elite baseball physical therapy for serious athletes. We help pitchers in Westfield, Carmel, Fishers, and Zionsville find arm pain relief and get back on the diamond with a healthy, powerful arm.

Ready to protect your season?

Call us today at 812-686-9550 or Schedule an Evaluation to build a custom plan to keep your athlete healthy and high-performing!