Why Do Baseball Players Tape Their Wrists?

Any baseball game houses lots of scrapes, scratches, and injuries, just like other popular sports. Players often sprain their limbs, tear muscles, or even break bones when playing ball. Therefore, game safety is a huge part of baseball. After all, everyone wants players to be protected.

Baseball players tape their wrists with sports tape so they can protect themselves while competing. The tape gives them better stability and strength while helping to prevent injury. 

Contents

Why Would A Baseball Player Need Wrist Tape?

Baseball requires a lot of wrist movement. Baseball players constantly exert all of their arm muscles while playing. It is not uncommon that a player will pinch a nerve in or sprain their wrist. Such an injury can be detrimental to their performance, and the player may even have to sit out the season.

Injuries usually happen when a player stretches their arm the wrong way or when a player falls or dives while catching a ball.

These injuries damage the soft tissue and ligaments in the arm, impacting the player’s physical wellness for weeks or even months.

Using adhesive can help prevent these injuries and keep any professional baseball player safe even in a tough game. In addition to providing safety by putting pressure on the wrists, they also increase the player’s strength.

If a player has already had an injury, they can wear tape to alleviate the pain of a wrist sprain. By doing this, he can continue playing and finish the game despite being in some pain.

Adherent cohesive wrap bandages, another word for adhesive bandages, will not heal any injuries. However, they can act as a temporary fix in the form of extra support for wrist sprains and should be a part of any first aid kit. The use of adhesive and other proper safety gear can also prevent the damage from getting worse during play.

There are many reasons a player would tape their wrists, and several are to promote a player’s performance and safety during gameplay. 

Protection

Taped wrists are also helpful for when a player falls or if someone tackles them. A human’s instinct when they fall is to stretch their arms out. If a player does this, then his hands will make contact with the ground. These falls are how most wrist sprains occur, and wearing wrist support can help prevent them. 

Hitters, particularly, have to worry about their wrists. They use their hands to grip the bat, and this puts strain on their joints. In addition, they make use of their entire arm when swinging the bat and so need more arm support. If their arm gets injured, the player’s performance will suffer.

Adhesive will not only help a hitter protect his wrists, but it will also enable them to grip the bat more efficiently and with more strength.

Padding

Sometimes, players tape their wrists for extra padding. For example, if a ball strikes a player’s wrist, the bandage wrap will provide a barrier and absorb some of the impact’s force. The commonness of high-speed balls in baseball makes tape padding critical to prevent injury.  

Padding is particularly helpful for the catcher since he has to catch the pitcher’s forceful throws. 

Blood Circulation

Wrist tape will also help with circulation and will ensure that blood is freely flowing through the wrist. Wrist adhesives are especially helpful to assure blood flow if the area is already injured.

Conceals Jewelry 

Another reason a player may want to bandage his wrists is so that he can conceal his jewelry. Professional games in the MLB do not let their players wear loose jewelry while on the field. Therefore, if a player wants to keep his jewelry on, he may place tape over it. The adhesive will keep the jewelry in place and avoid any disturbances during play.

Tradition And Confidence 

There is some debate regarding whether baseball wrist adhesive is essential or not. However, some people simply enjoy it because it is part of players’ tradition or see it as a fashion statement. For others, the bands are strictly functional, and they hide them under one or more sweatbands. 

The pre-wrap before a game has become a ritual warm up for many players and is part of their pre-game preparation. Others swear that wrapping improves performance. 

Players are not likely to stop taping their wrists anytime soon. Maybe it gives them a confidence boost, or perhaps it’s because bands absorb sweat, but, whatever the reason, adhesives have become an essential tradition in all professional competitions. 

Final Words

We can conclude that baseball wrist adhesive, and any other protective accessories for that matter, is quite helpful for players. Wrist wraps help avoid injuries and alleviate symptoms of existing injuries.

In addition to protecting the players, wrist bandages can give them extra strength and support. On the other hand, some players simply enjoy having their wrists wrapped and do it as part of the tradition.

FAQs

What Wrist Adhesive Do Major League Baseball Players Use?

Major League Baseball players tape their wrists using white or summum tapes, often the Pangda adhesive bandage wraps or those made by California Basics. 

These bandages are easy to put on and remove. Additionally, they are durable and provide excellent support and padding. Players usually choose a porous option for taping as it lets the skin breathe perfectly during the game.

How Do You Wrap Your Wrists For Baseball?

You should apply baseball tape in such a way that it starts just under the forearm. Players usually use 1-inch strips that go from the forearm to the base of the wrist.

Before you wrap the wrist part of your arm, you need to ensure that the area is clean and dry. Then you can begin coiling the bandage around your wrists.

Finally, make sure you aren’t taping too tight, or you’ll reduce your blood circulation.

Can Baseball Wrist Adhesive Damage Skin?

The right kind of porous wrist adhesive will not damage your skin. However, natural latex rubber tapes may irritate your skin

This kind of adhesive is also too tough to move appropriately during wear. A player needs his wrists to be flexible, and latex tape fails to provide movement.