Some of the top players in Major League Baseball, guys like Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira and Albert Pujols, have all suffered calf injuries in recent years, and Laynce Nix thinks he knows why.
The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder, who has also been plagued by calf issues, says the problems may stem from the Nike shoes that these players are sporting.
"To be short and direct," Nix told the Delaware County Daily Times, "the shoes that I was wearing didn’t flex where my toes flex, and it caused tension in the Achilles (tendon) and calves. That built up for a couple of years in my Achilles and calves."
Nix spoke with Rollins and Shane Victorino, both of whom have suffered similar issues after wearing Nike shoes, and came to realize that the problem might with be with the cleats.
"If you look back at the same time Mark Teixeira and Albert Pujols had calf strains, and so did I wearing the same type of shoes," Nix said. "That was sort of eye-opening to me, so I had to make a change of shoes. It was very frustrating, because it wasn’t anything I did from a lack of training or strengthening."
Nix spent 10 weeks on the disable list last year, and when he returned he struggled to find his rhythm at the plate. Normally a .245 hitter, Nix batted .191 in 68 at-bats after recovering from his calf issues.
(H/T to Larry Brown Sports)
