Table 1.
Characteristics by Command Performance After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstructiona
| Non--poor Performers | Poor Performers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 25) | (n = 14) | P | |
| Age at surgery, y | 28.2 ± 5.9 | 26.1 ± 3.8 | .244 |
| MLB experience at surgery, y | 5.6 ± 4.6 | 4.1 ± 3.2 | .295 |
| Handedness, n (%) | .218 | ||
| Right | 18 (72) | 13 (93) | |
| Left | 7 (28) | 1 (7) | |
| Type of pitcher, n (%) | .095 | ||
| Starting | 18 (72) | 6 (43) | |
| Relief | 7 (28) | 8 (57) | |
| Rest time before return to MLB play, mo | 15.4 ± 4.1 | 16.6 ± 5.3 | .464 |
| ERA in the presurgery year | 4.60 ± 1.29 | 4.24 ± 1.33 | .419 |
| Pitches thrown in the presurgery year | 1723 ± 1107 | 1135 ± 728 | .083 |
| Fastballs thrown in the presurgery year, % | 55.8 | 64.7 | .063 |
aData are reported as mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated. Pitchers were deemed poor performers if their postsurgery fastball accuracy was > 20% worse than was their presurgery fastball accuracy, representing a postsurgery accuracy >1 SD worse compared with that of the remainder of the cohort. ERA, earned run average; MLB, Major League Baseball.