A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine finds concussed players returning from leave had "significantly lower" batting stats than players returning for non-injury reasons.
Batting performance among concussed MLB players will be worse upon returning than players who missed play time due to non-injury reasons. The researchers compared players who sustained a concussion between 2007 and 2013 (66) to players who went on paternity or bereavement leave (68). Batting stats were "significantly lower" among concussed players relative to the players on leave for non-injury reasons in the first two weeks back. Weeks four to six revealed slightly lower stats among concussed players, "but not statistically significantly so."
The conclusion states, "Although concussed players may be asymptomatic upon return to play, the residual effects of concussion on the skills required for batting may still be present." Further research is needed to clarify which specific mechanism is hindered from concussions.
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