Sports-science technology might help reduce A’s many injuries

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ANAHEIM — Injuries devastated the A’s this year. They set an Oakland record by using the disabled list 27 times and by losing 1,762 days of player availability.

So it makes sense that the team would partner with a local sports-science-technology company that specializes in injury prevention. On Thursday, Kitman Labs of Menlo Park will announce that the A’s are using the company’s biomechanical and markerless motion-capture analytics system to help assess risk and provide advanced data to improve health and performance.

The A’s executive vice president of baseball operations, Billy Beane, joined Kitman Labs’ advisory board last season. Several other teams, including the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, have implemented the system, and the A’s began using the system with rookie-ball pitchers in July. Kitman Labs CEO Stephen Smith described it as “the early stages of the process,” basic data-gathering, which will provide unique analysis for each player.

The focus in baseball, naturally, is on pitchers, who get injured at the highest rate and have the most season-ending injuries. By using a wide range of data, including motion capture, Kitman Labs analyzes internal shoulder rotation; if that is reduced by 5 percent, more stress winds up on the elbow, which might lead to UCL damage. Identifying such a reduction in rotation could mean providing extra rest and treatment for a pitcher and restoring the proper shoulder rotation, potentially avoiding Tommy John surgery.

Kitman Labs started by focusing on soccer and rugby in Ireland and the United Kingdom and reported impressive results. In a report released in June, the company asserted that among its client teams, the number of days lost to injury decreased by 41 percent, injuries that lasted a month or more decreased by 31 percent, and season-ending injuries declined by 65 percent.

“That is staggering, in terms of dollars,” Smith said. “It’s early days, but I think we can do something similar to what we’ve done in other sports. We feel we can make an impact on the game of baseball.”

Limiting injuries could make a massive difference for baseball teams. By the end of the season, the A’s will have spent roughly $22 million on players on the DL, about 20 percent of the payroll, according to Stan Conte of Conte Injury Analytics. Last season, clubs lost more than 30,000 days to players on the DL at a cost of more than $700 million.

Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 29: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics leaves the game with the trainer in the fourth inning after an apparent injury against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on August 29, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) less HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 29: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics leaves the game with the trainer in the fourth inning after an apparent injury against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on August 29, ... more Photo: Bob Levey, Getty Images Photo: Bob Levey, Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Sports-science technology might help reduce A’s many injuries 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

On deck

Thursday

at Mariners

7:10 p.m. CSNCA

Graveman (10-11)

vs. Miranda (5-2)

Friday

at Mariners

7:10 p.m. CSNCA

Alcantara (1-2)

vs. Walker (7-11)

Saturday

at Mariners

6:10 p.m. CSNCA

Cotton (2-0) vs. Iwakuma (16-12)

Leading off

Everyday Healy: Third baseman Ryon Healy has played all but an inning and a half since being called up. “He’s on the Marcus (Semien) program,” manager Bob Melvin said. “When I ask him, ‘How are you feeling physically?’ he doesn’t even want to have the conversation.”

— Susan Slusser