The Pitfalls of Resting: Why Pitchers Should Adjust - Not Stop - Their Throwing Workloads

Each offseason, pitchers across the country are told to "shut it down" - to rest, recover, and take months off from throwing.
While rest sounds like the smart move, research shows that complete rest often does more harm than good.

? The Problem With "Shutting Down"

When pitchers take long breaks from throwing, the body begins to detrain - the arm loses strength, the joints lose mobility, and the body's throwing rhythm fades.

A 2019 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that pitchers who stopped throwing for 8-12 weeks or more were more likely to experience shoulder and elbow injuries when ramping back up, due to tissue weakness and poor recoordination.

"The body doesn't remember what it hasn't practiced."

Throwing is one of the most explosive, complex motions in sports - combining timing, rotation, stability, and force transfer.
When pitchers completely rest, those systems regress, leading to early-season soreness, lost velocity, and poor command when they resume.

?? The Smarter Alternative: Adjust Workload, Don't Eliminate It

Top MLB and college development programs now take a different approach: managing workload instead of shutting down.

Here's what that looks like:

? Reduce intensity, not eliminate throwing.
Offseason phases focus on lighter throwing, mechanical refinement, and movement drills.

? Build up gradually.
The arm stays conditioned through consis