The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that each year more than 627,000 baseball-related injuries are treated in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, and hospital emergency rooms.

Although baseball is a non-contact sport, most serious injuries are due to contact — either with a ball, bat, or another player.

The most common baseball injuries include mild soft tissue injuries, such as muscle pulls (strains), ligament injuries (sprains), cuts and bruises, lacerations, and contusions. The repetitive nature of these sports can also cause overuse injuries to the shoulder and elbow.

• Physical exam. A pre-season physical exam is important for both younger and older players. The goal is to prevent injuries and illnesses by identifying any potential medical problems. These may include asthma, allergies, heart, or orthopaedic conditions.
• Warm up and stretch. Always take time to warm up and stretch.
• Warm up with some easy calisthenics, such as jumping jacks. Continue with walking or light running, such as running the bases.
• Gentle stretching, in particular your back, hamstrings, and shoulders, can be helpful. Your team coach or athletic trainer may provide a stretching program.
• First aid. Familiarity with first aid, including recognizing and treating the most common injuries, is especially important for coaches. Be able to administer basic first aid for minor injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, strains, sprains, and tendonitis.
• Field knowledge. Be familiar with your baseball field, including its telephone and cardiac defibrillator.
• Emergency situations. Be prepared for emergencies. Have a plan to reach medical personnel for help with more significant injuries like concussions, breathing problems like wheezing, heat illness, and orthopaedic emergencies, such as fractures and dislocations.
• Follow the rules. Know the rules and encourage safe and appropriate play.

• Equipment should fit properly and be worn correctly.
• Wear a batting helmet at the plate, in the "on deck" circle waiting your turn at bat, and during base running.
• Protective face shields attached to batting helmets can reduce the risk of facial injury if hit by a ball.
• Position-specific equipment should be used.
• Catchers should always use a catcher's mitt, helmet, face mask, throat guard, long-model chest protector, protective supporter, and shin guards.

Catcher's protective gear
• Batters should consider wearing protective jackets to avoid injury from being hit by ball.
• Wear molded baseball shoes that fit properly and have appropriate cleats.
• Gender-specific equipment may be of value, including athletic supports for boys/men and padded bras for girls/women.
• In youth leagues, softer baseballs decrease the risk of injury from being hit by a pitched ball.
• Players should be instructed in how to avoid getting hit by a ball.

• Inspect the playing field for uneven terrain (holes, divots), glass, and other debris.
• Use a field with breakaway bases. Many injuries occur while sliding into bases. The traditional stationary base is a rigid obstacle for an athlete to encounter while sliding. In contrast, a breakaway base is snapped onto grommets attached to an anchored rubber mat, which holds it in place during normal play. Although a sliding runner can dislodge it, the breakaway base is stable and will not detach during normal base running. Installing breakaway bases on all playing fields could significantly decrease sliding injuries.
• Assess weather conditions and be prepared to delay/cancel the game, especially in cases of particularly hot weather or thunderstorms with lightning.

Good communication between doctors, players, parents, and coaches is key to diagnosing and treating more significant baseball injuries.

Young players may not be able to recall exactly how an injury happened or describe their symptoms in detail. They may even hide injuries because of concern about being removed from play.

Coaches and parents must pay close attention to changes in a player's participation or performance. Should there be an injury, doctors may need their help to provide accurate details and a medical history.

An injured player's symptoms must be completely gone before returning to play. For example:

• In case of a joint problem, the player must have no pain, no swelling, full range of motion, and normal strength.
• In case of concussion, the player must have no symptoms at rest or with exercise, and should be cleared by the appropriate medical provider.
• In case of a shoulder or elbow overuse injury, the player should gradually return to a throwing program, increasing the number of throws depending on the length of time away from play, and their specific team position.