Ankle Injuries in Athletes: Why Stability Beats Flexibility (Especially for Baseball Players)

At Undefeated Physical Therapy & Performance, we see ankle injuries all the time—especially in active populations. Whether you’re on the field, court, or mound, the ankle joint plays a foundational role in stability, athletic performance, and injury prevention.

One of the most common lower body injuries across all sports is a lateral ankle sprain. It typically happens when the foot rolls downward and inward—what we call plantarflexion and inversion. This motion puts strain on the lateral ligaments and tendons that support the outside of the ankle. Depending on the severity, these structures can become overstretched or even rupture.

We often see this mechanism of injury in sports that require quick changes of direction—soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, and yes, even baseball.

What Happens After an Ankle Sprain?

When an ankle sprain occurs:

• Ligaments (which connect bone to bone) are stretched or torn.

• Tendons (which connect muscle to bone) are often strained.

• Range of motion may temporarily decrease due to swelling and pain in the acute phase.

But here’s the interesting part: after the acute phase resolves, the ankle usually becomes hypermobile—meaning it has more motion than it originally had.

That’s why in rehab, we’re not primarily concerned with gaining motion—it’s already there.

We’re concerned with regaining stability.

Stability > Mobility in Ankle Rehab

True ankle rehab doesn’t end with pain relief and passive motion testing. In many traditional rehab settings, we see isolated ankle exercises like:

• 4-way ankle bands

• Calf stretches

• Ankle alphabets

And then, once motion returns, you’re often told you’re “good to go.”

But we challenge that.

An ankle that’s been injured needs to relearn how to stabilize—especially against unpredictable forces. That means:

• Squatting on inclines/declines

• Single-leg stability work

• Unstable surface training

• Incorporating the hip and knee into functional patterns

Rehab should go beyond just front-to-back and side-to-side movement. We need to incorporate multi-directional and rotational planes—because that’s how real-life movement (and sport) happens.

Why This Matters for Baseball Players

Let’s bring this full circle—how does ankle stability affect a baseball player’s performance and injury risk?

Everything starts from the ground up.

If you’ve had ankle sprains or lack stability in your foot and ankle complex, it can:

• Disrupt your leg drive

• Alter your hip and core position

• Shift your torso and affect your arm angle

• Force your upper body to compensate, leading to more stress on the shoulder and elbow

In fact, several studies back this up:

• Wilk et al. (2011) found that baseball players who failed balance tests were 2.5 times more likely to suffer a throwing-related injury.

• Oliver & Keeley (2010) showed that youth pitchers with impaired balance demonstrated increased medial elbow stress during throwing.

• The American Journal of Sports Medicine (2014) also linked impaired single-leg stance to a higher rate of upper extremity injuries in baseball athletes.

Throwing is a full-body motion. If you can’t control your base, everything above it suffers.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve had an ankle injury, it’s not enough to just restore your range of motion. You need to train for stability—in every direction, under load, and during sport-specific tasks. Your long-term health, performance, and injury resilience depend on it.

At Undefeated Physical Therapy & Performance, we specialize in identifying the missing links in your kinetic chain and developing individualized stability programs—from the ground up.

Whether you’re recovering from a sprain or looking to build a more durable body for sport, we’re here to help.

Call or Text Today to see how we can help you!

(412)627-2131