Last night I watched the final game of Major League Baseball’s 2025 regular season. Now it’s off to the playoffs and the World Series. As I think about what the next few weeks hold for baseball fans, I am also reminded of a large number of players who elected to have PRP injections this past season.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy has been a favorite of professional athletes for several years. Pro baseball players are no exception. This year, we saw a steady stream of players – including the Blue Jays’ Anthony Santander, the Tigers’ Reese Olson, and the Yankees’ Luke Weaver – all opt for PRP injections. The two big questions are ‘why’ and ‘do they work’.
Why Athletes Choose PRP
PRP therapy is an injection therapy offered by pain medicine specialists and sports doctors alike. It is a procedure offered by Lone Star Pain Medicine in Weatherford, TX. Lone Star doctors say it’s an ideal treatment for soft tissue injuries that athletes are prone to.
The therapy uses the patient’s own blood to isolate platelets and growth factors. The isolated material is injected into the injury site to promote a more natural and complete healing. As for why athletes seem to prefer it, there are three primary reasons:
- They feel it gets them back into competition more quickly.
- They believe it promotes more complete healing.
- It is minimally invasive compared to surgery.
Pitchers are among the most likely pro baseball players to opt for PRP injections. Take a pitcher who has been told that Tommy John surgery is in his future. Hoping to avoid the surgery, he might prefer to undergo PRP therapy first. If it works, surgery is avoided. If not, he has lost nothing by trying. Visit Lone Star.
Does It Actually Work?
Now for the million-dollar question: does PRP therapy really work? We used to have to say that it was a matter of opinion based on anecdotal evidence. That’s no longer the case. We now have hard data to support PRP injections for certain types of soft tissue injuries and diseases.
For example, a 2022 systematic review of 32 previous PRP studies showed that PRP injections result in significant improvements in recovery time, less pain for certain types of injuries, and positive results for treating tendon issues.
In most cases in which PRP proved effective, patients reported “significant improvement in the healing rate and a decreased need for surgical repair.” It should be noted that not every patient in every study reported positive results. But that’s true of every medical treatment on the planet.
The Anecdotal Evidence Is Still There
In addition to scientific data, the anecdotal evidence is still there. It is also worth paying attention to. Patient testimonies should not be discounted solely because researchers did not interview them in a controlled setting.
The fact of the matter is that so many athletes – both weekend warriors and pros – have positive things to say about PRP injections. They attribute the treatment to getting them back into competition more quickly and to promoting complete healing rather than mere symptom management.
It goes without saying that PRP therapy isn’t appropriate for every type of injury under the sun. It is mainly for soft tissue injuries and diseases. Some doctors are also using it for hair growth. Nonetheless, it’s not an appropriate treatment for broken bones, diabetes, heart disease, and so forth.
Major League Baseball is preparing for the 2025 playoffs and World series. Among the players done for the year, I’m guessing at least a few of them will get PRP therapy over the winter months.
