Should You Throw the Day After Pitching? Long Toss, Recovery, and What the Research Says

By Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS – Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

One of the most common questions I get from pitchers is:

“What should I do the day after pitching?”

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding recovery after a high-intensity outing. I hear athletes say things like:

• “I’m just doing some long toss the day after to loosen it up.”

• “I threw a light bullpen the next day just to get my arm moving.”

• “I did some running poles to flush everything out.”

While these ideas are common in baseball culture, the current research and medical guidelines tell a different story, especially for pitchers who started the game or threw a significant number of pitches.

This article focuses primarily on high school and college pitchers, particularly those who start games and accumulate higher pitch counts.

What the Research and Medical Guidelines Say

Sports medicine research and pitching guidelines generally agree on one important point:

High-intensity throwing should not occur the day after a pitching outing.

This is especially true after a starting appearance or a high pitch count outing.

Many of the guidelines used today come from youth baseball medical recommendations and the MLB Pitch Smart initiative, which aim to reduce overuse injuries in throwing athletes.

Below is a general framework used for high school pitchers (ages 15–18).

Recommended Rest Based on Pitch Count

Pitches Thrown	Recommended Rest
1–30	0 days
31–45	1 day
46–60	2 days
61–75	3 days
76+	4 days

Example:

If a high school starter throws 80–100 pitches, they should have at least four days of recovery before pitching again.

Research has consistently shown that pitchers who throw on consecutive days have significantly higher rates of arm pain and arm injuries. The biggest driver of these injuries is overuse and fatigue.

Simply put:

The number one cause of injury in throwing athletes is overuse.

Example:

If a high school starter throws 80–100 pitches, they should have at least four days of recovery before pitching again.

Research has consistently shown that pitchers who throw on consecutive days have significantly higher rates of arm pain and arm injuries. The biggest driver of these injuries is overuse and fatigue.

Pitching vs Throwing: Why This Confuses Athletes

This is where most athletes get confused.

Pitching is not the same thing as throwing.

Some medical groups allow very light throwing the day after an outing, but they do not recommend high-effort throwing.

Activities that may be appropriate the day after pitching

• Aerobic recovery (bike, light jog)

• Mobility work

• Arm care and band work

• Light catch at low intensity (only if pain-free)

Activities to avoid the day after pitching

• Bullpen sessions

• Max-effort throwing

• Long toss for distance

• Pitching again

The key distinction here is intensity.

Light movement can help circulation and mobility, but high-stress throwing too soon interferes with recovery.

What High-Level Pitchers Actually Do

If you look at college baseball and Major League Baseball, most starting pitchers operate on a five-day rotation.

This structure closely reflects what the research suggests about recovery and performance.

Typical 5-Day Pitching Rotation

Day	Activity
Day 0	Game start
Day 1	Recovery day – mobility, band work, occasionally light catch
Day 2	Light to moderate throwing
Day 3	Long toss – gradually build intensity
Day 4	Bullpen session (shorter duration)
Day 5	Next start

Even at the highest levels of baseball, pitchers are not throwing hard the day after a start.

Recovery comes first.

Overuse, Fatigue, and Injury Risk

Multiple studies examining throwing injuries consistently show that fatigue and overuse are the biggest predictors of shoulder and elbow injuries.

Key factors that increase injury risk include:

• Higher pitch counts

• Inadequate recovery time

• Repeated high-velocity throwing

• Throwing while fatigued

There is also a direct relationship between velocity and joint stress.

The harder a pitcher throws, the greater the stress placed on the elbow and shoulder—particularly the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

Because of this, high-velocity pitchers must be even more intentional with their recovery and workload management.

A Practical Guideline for High School and College Pitchers

After a starting outing, the day after pitching should be focused on recovery, not performance training.

Good options the day after pitching

• Recovery lifting

• Arm care exercises

• Shoulder and thoracic mobility work

• Light catch if pain-free

What should be avoided

• Bullpen sessions

• Max-effort throwing

• Long toss for distance

• Pitching again

The “Flush Throwing” Myth

A common belief in baseball is that throwing the day after pitching helps “flush out the arm.”

However, emerging sports science suggests the opposite may be true.

High-stress throwing too soon after an outing can actually delay recovery instead of helping it.

The body needs time to restore:

• muscular strength

• tendon recovery

• neuromuscular coordination

Throwing hard while the arm is still fatigued increases injury risk and reduces performance in the long run.

What About Running Poles?

Another topic that comes up often is running poles the day after pitching.

Conditioning is important, but doing long, intense running sessions immediately after pitching can be counterproductive.

Think about it this way:

Pitching places significant stress on the entire body, not just the arm.

Doing a long, demanding conditioning session the next day can be comparable to:

Running a marathon one day and a half marathon the next.

Your body needs time to recover from the high neuromuscular and mechanical stress of pitching.

The Simple Rule I Use Clinically

In my practice working with throwing athletes, I keep the guideline simple:

If you started the game, the next day should be a recovery day.

Light catch may be okay if the arm feels good, but high-intensity throwing should typically wait at least 48 hours.

Recovery isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about doing the right things at the right time.

Final Thoughts

Pitching is one of the most demanding movements in all of sports. Managing workload, recovery, and intensity is critical for both performance and long-term arm health.

For high school and college pitchers, the takeaway is clear:

The day after pitching should prioritize recovery—not more throwing.

If athletes can learn to respect recovery and structure their throwing properly, they can protect their arm, maintain velocity, and stay on the field longer.

References

American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI). Youth and Adolescent Pitching Injury Research.

MLB Pitch Smart Guidelines. Major League Baseball.

Fleisig GS, Andrews JR. Prevention of Elbow Injuries in Youth Baseball Pitchers. Sports Health.

Lyman S, Fleisig GS, Andrews JR. Effect of Pitch Count and Pitch Type on Risk of Elbow and Shoulder Pain in Youth Baseball Pitchers. American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Sabick MB, Torry MR, Hawkins RJ. Valgus Torque in Youth Baseball Pitching. Journal of Biomechanics.