How Long Does It Take for a High School Pitcher’s Elbow to Recover?

Pitching is tough on the elbow. With every throw, the elbow experiences stress, especially in the medial (inside) joint, where the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) plays a huge role in stabilizing the arm. We know that throwing a lot of pitches can lead to temporary changes in the elbow, but how long does it take to recover? We want to share a recent study looked at exactly that. How does the elbow joint react to 100 pitches? How long it takes to recover from the outting? 

The Study

The Researchers observed 26 high school pitchers (average age 16) and had them throw 100 pitches (split into 5 sets of 20). They measured three key metrics before pitching, immediately after, and over the next 24 hours:

Medial elbow joint width – This indicates how much the elbow joint loosens or tightens.
UCL strain ratio – This tells us how much stress the UCL is under.
Forearm flexor-pronator muscle (FPM) strain ratio – These muscles help support the elbow during throwing.

What They Learned

Immediatly after pitching, the elbow joint loosened slightly (increased width by 0.84 mm).
The UCL and forearm muscles showed immediate changes in strain, meaning they were under stress.
However, within 24 hours, most of these changes returned to normal.
What This Means for Pitchers

Conclusion

The study suggests that after throwing 100 pitches, a pitcher’s elbow joint recovers/stabilizes within 24 hours. This could mean that low-intensity throwing may be okay after a full day of rest. However, recovery isn’t just about the elbow—other parts of the body also need time to recover.

Takeaways for Players and Coaches

Monitor recovery – If your elbow still feels off after 24 hours, you may need more rest.
Strengthen the forearm muscles – Stronger supporting muscles help reduce stress on the joint.
Closely monitor workload management – While the elbow may recover quickly, other parts of the body (like the shoulder) may need more time.
This study reinforces the importance of proper recovery, smart training, and listening to your body. So, if you’re a pitcher, make sure you’re taking care of your arm so you can stay healthy and keep throwing strong!

Source: Hattori H, Okamura S, Hall T, Sakaguchi K, Akasaka K. Recovery of the Medial Elbow Joint in the 24-Hour Period After Repetitive Pitching in High School Players. Am J Sports Med. 2025 Jan;53(1):115-122. doi: 10.1177/03635465241293074. PMID: 39741472.