All the Mets are cupping
It seems everyone in the New York Mets clubhouse is letting their back do the talking when it comes to treatment. It's talking really, really loudly.
According to the Wall Street Journal, veteran pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka got the ball rolling (or the cup cupping) among teammates, with his back covered in big, circular, purple bruises.
"As an athlete, I want to play as long as possible," Matsuzaka said. "In order to do that, I need to find ways to protect my body. I'm always looking for something that might be better."
Traditionally, the procedure involves using a flame to create a vacuum inside a glass bulb which is then applied to the skin for up to 15 minutes.
Matsuzaka started two years ago and the Mets are using a mechanical suction pump to create the vacuum for the team's players.
[Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal]
Since rookie pitcher Jacob deGrom committed to cupping, he said he hasn't been sore "at all" after his starts.
Ace Matt Harvey, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, said it's something he can feel "immediate relief from."
Oakland Athletics trainer Nick Paparesta told the Journal that virtually the entire roster has undergone cupping at some point this season. He suggests the "twofold solution" can provide both immediate and long-term relief from lower back or oblique tightness. It can also be done post-surgery to reduce scarring.
"If I went in and did it and just saw a bunch of circles on my back and it didn't actually feel better after I did it, then I wouldn't do it," Harvey said.
Unless ... ?