Major Leagues: Which Players had the Worst Injuries in 2014?

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Brooke Chaplan

Aroldis Chapman had a tough start to the 2014 season.

While baseball isn’t technically a contact sport, injuries are common. Sometimes, serious injuries can have a significant impact on a player’s, or even a team’s season. Here are some of the worst injuries suffered in the 2014 MLB season.

Dan Jennings–Miami Marlins
This injury is, fortunately, not one of the worst because of the damage done. That said, any time someone takes a 101 mile line drive to the head, the event has to qualify for any “worst injuries” list. Jennings, a pitcher, was struck on the head by a line drive off the bat of Jordy Mercer, a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jennings was carried off of the field and diagnosed with a concussion.

Aroldis Chapman–Cincinnati Reds
Pitchers often find their way onto the injuries list, and Chapman is no exception. Another pitcher struck by a batted ball, Chapman was struck by an estimated 99 mile per hour line drive while on the mound. Unlike Jennings, Chapman was struck directly in the face instead of on the top of the head. Chapman sustained severe damage to his head and face, and the game was cancelled after the incident.

Carlos Quentin–San Diego Padres
Quentin was off to a slow start for his 2014 campaign. Before he could get back on track and be the impact player for the Padres everyone hoped, he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee. While a bruise might not sound like a major injury, Quentin was placed on the disabled list for the rest of the year. Only time will tell if Quentin recovers and returns to his prior performance levels.

Carlos Quentin was never able to get things rolling in 2014.

Pitchers–Entire League
A fact of modern baseball is that pitching takes a serious toll on a player’s body. It has become common for veteran hurlers to need tendon replacement in their elbows. According to a personal injury lawyer from the Vancouver Bronson Jones & Co group, through a procedure called Tommy John surgery, pitchers actually have a tendon removed from elsewhere in their body to serve as a substitute for the damaged tendon. These surgeries require a lengthy recovery time, and dozens of MLB pitchers are required to endure the process every year.

Professional sports are a dangerous game. Major League Baseball is no exception. No matter what safety measures are put into place, the risk of serious injury is always present. While pitchers seem to take the worst of it, no one is completely safe from the possibility of a career-ending event.