Rays infielder speculates whether pitch clock contributes to increase in injuries

"One of the only things that I could see is telling a person to go out there and rip a pitch, rip a fastball as hard as they can in 10-second intervals. (That) kind of puts a little extra stress on a guy," Lowe said. "The pitch clock changed some things around and made the games faster, but when you are exerting your body at the highest possible clip that you can, it kind of puts extra strain on a guy."

The 2019 All-Star added that there are "so many different things that can contribute to an injury," so it's "hard to pinpoint one and say, 'If we'd have just changed that one thing, he never would've gotten hurt."

Scores of prominent starting pitchers have suffered potentially serious arm injuries during spring training, including New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner became the latest in a lengthy list of recent victors of the hardware who won't be ready to pitch on Opening Day.

Lowe's Rays have been hit particularly hard by injuries to their starting rotation.

Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery last August and is expected to miss the entire 2024 season. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen suffered a forearm injury last season, subsequently underwent surgery last summer and could return in the second half of the 2024 campaign.

31-year-old southpaw Jeffrey Springs underwent Tommy John surgery last year and is aiming to return to the team this summer.

The most recent injury to a Tampa Bay starter happened this month when promising 22-year-old Taj Bradley was shut down for at least two weeks with a pectoral injury. Soon after the Bradley news, the Rays reunited with 2019 All-Star hurler Jake Odorizzi, signing him to a minor-league contract.