Chalk Talk: Navigating the 2026 Baseball Injury Surge with PTA/ATC Chris Brandt

Send us Fan MailThe 2026 baseball season has been defined by a spike in oblique strains, the rise of the "Internal Brace," and a mounting workload crisis in youth arms. We sit down with Chris Brandt, ATC/PTA, to break down the "Chalk Talk" of modern sports medicine. Chris shares his unique dual-perspective on how we are assessing, treating, and—most importantly—preventing the most common injuries hitting the IL this year. From big-league stars to the next generation of flamethrowers, we’re looking at what the data (and the tape) is telling us about the state of the game. Key Topics: Internal Brace vs. UCL Reconstruction: What PTs need to know. The biomechanics behind the 2026 oblique strain epidemic. On-field "red flags" for youth pitching fatigue. Differentiating TOS from standard overhead fatigue. Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!