Twins pitcher alleges condition of baseballs caused injury in formal complaint to MLB originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Arm injuries have become an epidemic for MLB pitchers over the last few seasons, with Bailey Ober being one of the most recent to go down with a right flexor strain.
But Ober’s injury wasn’t solely caused by trying to increase velocity or throwing too many pitches. Instead, he believes that the poorly rubbed baseballs at Fenway Park on May 24 have caused this injury.
And he’s not the only one who complained about these particular baseballs during a rainy game.
Here’s why Ober believes that this injury was avoidable with better baseballs.
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Twins pitcher alleges condition of baseballs caused injury
Ober pitched against Red Sox starter Sonny Gray at Fenway Park on May 24, a game where the two teams had to play through a rainy day.
“I haven’t dealt with poorly rubbed up baseballs to that extent ever,” Ober told Bob Nightengale. “The only way to be able to throw slick baseballs is to grip them harder, so you can execute your pitches. If not, you’re not going to know where the ball is going, especially with breaking pitches. …I didn’t feel anything during the game per se, but after the game, my arm was beat up.”
He later clarifies that he talked to umpires about the balls, to which the home plate umpire Will Little suggested that Ober keep throwing out balls. He did not wind up doin this, as each ball had the same problem for Ober.
As a result, Ober has filed a formal complaint with Major League Baseball about the quality of these baseballs. Red Sox starter that day also had negative things to say about the balls.
Red Sox starter Sonny Gray had similar trouble in these unique conditions, especially with the particular baseballs in use.
“Brutal. Brutal. Brutal. Absolutely brutal [conditions],” Gray said, per the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey. “It is what it is. It was brutal for everyone.”
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What is Bailey Ober’s injury?
Ober has been diagnosed with a mild right flexor strain, specific to his forearm and elbow.
Flexor strains can vary in severity and often grow worse or necessitate additional time on the injured list. Currently, Ober is on the 15-day injured list and is expected to miss about a month, per Bob Nightengale. He will resume throwing in 10-14 days.
Through conversations with Twins’ head trainer Nick Paparesta, Ober believes that the cause of his flexor strain was this game in Boston.
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What does “poorly rubbed” baseball mean?
A “poorly rubbed” baseball is a ball that is often new, causing a glossy and slippery surface that is hard for players to grip.
Major League Baseball requires that balls be properly rubbed with mud before games to remove the glossy surface and allow for better grip. With MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances, especially, pitching grip has become important not only for pitchers’ results, but to maintain the control necessary to keep batters safe.
If a baseball is rubbed poorly, the problem becomes worse during rainy conditions like those on May 24. As a result, this can force pitchers to change their grip or mechanics to maintain reliable control of their arsenal.
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What is a “formal complaint” to MLB?
Alongside the MLB Players Association, Ober filed a formal complaint to MLB. Twins manager Derek Shelton also went straight to MLB with the matter, filing a complaint on Ober’s behalf. These complaints are writings from an individual to the league office citing and detailing a specific issue.
They will often result in investigations into the matter, which was the case with Ober. According to Nightengale, MLB investigated the baseballs from that game and determined that they were consistent in meeting the league’s standards.
Bailey Ober stats
Bailey Ober has cemented himself as a starter for the Twins for several years, but his numbers took a step back next season. Ober held a sub-4 era every season from 2022-2024, but held a 5.10 ERA in 2025. Ober’s 2026 season has landed somewhere in between, with highs like a complete game shutout and lows like his two most recent starts, where he failed to make it through five innings.
YearStartsERAInningsWHIP2021204.1992.11.2022022113.2156.01.0542023263.43144.11.0672024313.98178.21.0022025275.10146.11.2982026124.5966.21.215
