Using Adhesive Tape For Baseball Injuries

Adhesive tape for baseball players can represent a low profile way to provide stability and support to weak or injured ankles and knees. Taping your ankles will provide them with the support they need. At the same time, the tape will be low profile enough to fit comfortably inside your footwear.

Baseball players frequently have to initiate movements like running or sprinting with explosive initiations and possible sharp changes in direction. They are also frequently jumping, sliding, diving or stretching for the ball. These movements can send rotational movements through the lower body towards the feet and ankles. The result is a high risk of ankle sprains that you can reduce by strapping your feet and ankles with an adhesive tape. Cricketers may elect to wear adhesive tape on their ankles for similar reasons.

Ankle taping also increases proprioception, which is the instinctive ability to sense where the ankle is at any moment. This allows the body to sense and instinctively avoid ankle positions that are unnatural and that may cause injury. So enhancing proprioception by wearing adhesive tape during a baseball game serves to reduce the risk of injury. 

If you do suffer an ankle sprain or other injury, you can wear adhesive tape after returning to play in order to reinforce the ankle until the healing process is complete. 

Knee Taping

Another body part that is a good candidate for adhesive taping is the knee. Like the ankle, it is highly contoured and will require an adhesive tape to conform closely to its surface. Additionally, baseball batters will frequently stop suddenly when arriving at a base with the knee in a flexed position. For batters with weak or previously injured knees, this can present a risk of re-injury. Wearing adhesive tape for baseball games gives batters with vulnerable knees additional reinforcement and stability for their knees.  That in turn reduces the risk of injury (or of re-injury if the knee has already suffered an injury).

For additional information on taping joints, please read this post.