Getting Cut: Breaking Down the Risk of Baseball UCL Injuries

Why are so many baseball players getting cut?The UCL injury crisis has become one of the most urgent problems in modern baseball. Once considered a rare injury among veteran professionals, Tommy John surgery is now affecting teenagers, college athletes, elite prospects, and major leaguers at alarming rates.In Getting Cut, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and baseball sports medicine expert Christopher S. Ahmad, MD takes readers inside the epidemic of elbow injuries threatening the future of the game.With the perspective of a surgeon, researcher, team physician, and lifelong student of performance, Dr. Ahmad breaks down why the modern throwing arm is under attack. The answer is not one bad pitch, one flawed mechanic, or one reckless coach. It is a system: velocity obsession, pitch design, year-round throwing, workload spikes, fatigue, poor recovery, sleep loss, nutrition gaps, psychological pressure, and a culture that rewards dominance before durability.Written for players, parents, coaches, clinicians, trainers, scouts, and anyone who cares about baseball, Getting Cut explains the hidden forces that push the fragile ulnar collateral ligament toward failure. It reveals why pain should never be ignored, why Tommy John surgery is not a performance upgrade, why youth elbow injuries matter years later, and why prevention must begin long before the operating room.This is not just a book about injury.It is a call to protect dreams, preserve careers, and rethink how baseball develops the arms that carry its future.Inside this book, you'll discover:The real causes behind the rise in UCL injuriesWhy Tommy John surgery is often misunderstoodThe impact of velocity culture and year-round throwingHow fatigue, recovery, sleep, and nutrition affect arm healthWhat players, parents, and coaches can do to reduce injury riskThe future of injury prevention in baseballWhether you're a player, parent, coach, clinician, or baseball fan, Getting Cut provides an essential roadmap for protecting the future of the game. Read more