Most baseball-related injuries are minor, and include things like bruises, scrapes, and sprains. However, the rare fatalities that occur within the sport usually happen as a result of a jarring blow to the chest or head. Just within the past year, over 143,000 baseball-related chest injuries occurred across the United States. Luckily, many of these individuals were wearing protective gear, and were not injured fatally.

Your first line of defense against being seriously injured by a ball or bat is to always wear quality chest and rib protectors. These include products such as the McDavid HexPad Sternum Shirt pictured above, which are made of lightweight, breathable pads. The foam is positioned directly over the sternum in order to protect vital bones and organs. The compression material can also serve to reduce muscle strain and fatigue. Sports protective gear should never be uncomfortable to wear, so be sure that the protector you purchase is made of material that will not chafe or irritate your skin.

In addition to wearing chest and rib protectors, baseball players should also try to hold their gloves in front of their chest during play (assuming they are not in action, of course). Be sure to use a quality padded mitt that will be able to protect your chest if needed. Infielders and outfielders should also pay close attention to the game at all times, so as not to be hit by any rogue baseballs.