{"id":884612,"date":"2026-09-05T18:46:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T18:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/884612\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T18:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T18:46:15","slug":"meet-the-toronto-scientist-helping-mlb-pitchers-avoid-career-ending-elbow-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/884612\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Toronto scientist helping MLB pitchers avoid career-ending elbow injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

In grad school, Cedric Attias led a study on how different pitching styles put pressure on the UCL. Now, he works for the Mariners<\/p>\n

Reprinted with permission from Be Giant<\/a>, a non-profit, non-partisan media outlet reporting on the people, places, ideas and breakthroughs shaping Canada’s future. Sign up for their weekly newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe now, but growing up, Cedric Attias wasn\u2019t a big baseball fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite frankly, I thought it was boring,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until he was pursuing a master\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo that he started paying attention to the sport \u2013 and, even then, it was for scientific reasons. Attias led a unique study that found ways to reduce the risk of an elbow injury while pitching, without compromising velocity.<\/p>\n

He used an advanced computer model to show how pitching mechanics impact the ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL). Injuries to this band of tissue, located on the inside of the elbow, are prevalent in baseball, impacting pitchers from the major leagues right down to youth levels. The issue, Attias explains, is repetitive stress. Repeated overhead movement \u2013 such as the throwing motion needed to pitch \u2013 can cause the UCL to break down. Toronto Blue Jays fans saw this first-hand when key starter Jos\u00e9 Berrios was sidelined for the 2026 season after undergoing UCL reconstruction, also known as Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n

Now based in Toronto and working remotely as a biomechanist for the Seattle Mariners, Attias led research that could play a role in reducing the risk of injury and serve as a tool to teach kids safer mechanics. Be Giant chatted with him about what a biomechanist does day to day, his research and how his findings are changing the game \u2013 literally.<\/p>\n

What does a biomechanist do?<\/p>\n

Attias\u2019 job with the Mariners involves examining movement data to draw conclusions about performance or injury. For instance, if a pitcher isn\u2019t throwing as hard as he used to, Attias can examine metrics like stride length, joint angle and arm acceleration to identify the problem. On a day-to-day basis, he\u2019s crunching numbers, coding and using different mathematical and physics principles to help make assessments. His engineering background comes in handy.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Engineers] can explain how things move, and we understand the principles of physics,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause, ultimately, the way the human body works is purely physics. [How] people get injured is physics. It\u2019s forces and torques over time or forces and torques in an instant.\u201d<\/p>\n

What inspired this research?<\/p>\n

During Attias\u2019 undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at Waterloo, he developed an interest in biomechanics. When it was time to decide what to do after graduation, he approached John McPhee, a professor in systems design engineering, about graduate studies.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, the Mariners had approached the university to outsource research into the best ways to maintain elite pitching performance without risking injury. If they supplied data, could a graduate student take on the project? McPhee asked Attias if he was interested. He was.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my goal to create this novel research area using different theories and practices in biomechanics to balance both injury and performance,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"bg0726-qa-baseball02\"
\nCedric Attias, right, with his University of Waterloo supervisor John McPhee. (University of Waterloo) <\/p>\n

What did he learn?<\/p>\n

To examine the twisting forces on the UCL during the throwing motion, Attias built a predictive digital musculoskeletal model proportional to a major league pitcher. He then ran his model through different simulations.<\/p>\n

To push it to its limit, he asked the model to throw the ball 110 miles per hour, stretching the bounds of what\u2019s believed to be humanly possible. (For context, the fastest recorded pitch in Major League Baseball is 105.8 m.p.h.)<\/p>\n

The model produced a pitcher that \u201clooked like a cricket bowler,\u201d Attias says, with an extreme torso tilt away from the throwing arm and an arm slot (the angle of the arm relative to the ground when the ball is released) that was over the head.<\/p>\n

Attias was stunned. It didn\u2019t look like the pitching motion we\u2019re accustomed to seeing. However, while scrolling social media, he discovered a college-level pitcher<\/a> with similar mechanics (though that athlete didn\u2019t throw 110 mph). This reassured Attias that his model was grounded in reality. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t something a human couldn\u2019t feasibly do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Conversely, when he told the model not to worry about velocity but to minimize torque on the elbow (which contributes to UCL injuries), he says it produced a pitching motion with the torso \u201ctilting toward the throwing arm versus away from the throwing arm, with a really low [arm] slot.\u201d It looked like what\u2019s typically called a \u201csubmarine\u201d delivery, which is when a pitcher releases the ball just above the ground.<\/p>\n

In fact, it looked nearly identical to the delivery of Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Tyler Rogers, whose fastball averages 83.2 m.p.h., the slowest in the majors (and who has never had a serious UCL injury).<\/p>\n

\"bg0726-qa-baseball03\"
\nWhen Cedric Attias asked his AI model to produce a pitching motion that would minimize torque on the elbow (which contributes to UCL injuries), it produced a delivery that looked remarkably similar to Rogers\u2019. (Bailey McLean\/Toronto Blue Jays) <\/p>\n

Why does any of this matter?<\/p>\n

Pitching mechanics affect velocity first and foremost, Attias says. But adjusting the position of the arm slot or the degree of torso tilt could help protect players\u2019 UCLs \u2013 without completely sacrificing speed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to throw faster, lean further away from the throwing arm and increase the arm slot to go more overhead,\u201d Attias says, though he notes this motion puts the elbow most at risk. \u201cIf you want to protect the UCL, lean toward the throwing arm and tuck it in and go a little bit more of a sidearm delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best real-world usage of this research?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s impossible to completely prevent UCL injuries. Some strain on the ligament is unavoidable, not to mention the impact of other factors like diet, sleep and strength training. How the Mariners are using the Waterloo-developed model is unclear. However, Attias hopes his public research can be applied toward educating young players on best practices for pitching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have the foundation of those mechanics in the long term, I think that will help you, especially given the nature of the injury being such a long-term accumulation injury,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the verdict on baseball now?<\/p>\n

While he didn\u2019t grow up as a baseball fan, the job has led to a newfound appreciation, Attias admits.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is going through data. But I watch baseball for fun now, because I do love the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn McGrath is a Toronto-based freelance journalist. She specializes in sports and lifestyle topics. She has also covered the Toronto Blue Jays and baseball for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

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