Matt Harrison is having a pretty cruddy 2011. First, he was savaged by kidney stones. Now, he’s experienced a bruised triceps. No, not a good start to 2011. He was pulled from his start against the Minnesota Twins after Danny Valencia nailed him with a line drive. As a true professional, Matt played the ball, but Danny was safe at first.
Michael Young, the Rangers first baseman, said of the play:
He apologized, said he couldn’t get it over there because his arm was numb. Pretty good reason. He battled. He was throwing the ball really well.
We’ve discussed torn triceps before, but never bruised triceps.
What is the triceps? The triceps is a muscle of the arm running on the back and outside. It’s main purpose in life is to let your elbow flex. Without a triceps our arms would flop around or would be straight and rigid.
How do you use the triceps in baseball? Since it is used to extend the arm it is critical for pitching and hitting.
How do you bruise your triceps? Just like any other muscle, the triceps can suffer from a contusion or bruise. You typically do this through external blunt trauma to the muscle. For instance, I bruised my triceps running into a fence while playing tennis. I made the get, but the muscle ended up bruising nicely.
What are the symptoms of a bruised triceps? Soreness is number one. The soreness is mild on extension, but when you actually touch the triceps it feels much worse. The second symptom that doesn’t always occur is a lack of mobility or flexibility of the arm.
How do you treat a bruised triceps? Ice can help, but really it is just time and rest. If you want to get super aggressive in treating it, add massage and cycles of ice and heat.
How long does a bruised triceps take to heal? Most bruises will heal within a week of the injury.