Baseball and Your Feet

If you don`t prepare properly and exercise good technique, you can injure your lower extremities, including your feet. If you are a casual weekend player, take it slow before jumping right into a game. Baseball and softball involve quick starts and stops, so it`s important to loosen up before the game to avoid muscle strain.

Preventing Injuries

Make sure the field you`re playing on doesn`t have loose objects or other hazards that you can trip or fall on, leading to a foot or ankle injury. Remember that proper sliding technique will help you avoid foot and ankle injuries. Make sure that the bases are firmly secured to the ground.

Pitchers often develop foot injuries because they come off the elevated mound the wrong way. The repetitive motion of pitching can lead to overuse injuries to the feet and ankles. Catchers are also prone to foot injuries or ailments from squatting for long periods of time and placing strain on the arch and ball of the foot. All baseball players are susceptible to such problems as plantar fasciitis, heel spur syndrome, achilles tendinitis and shin splints. Running the bases, or pivoting to make a play can lead to stretched or torn ligaments, and even fractures.