Per https://www.lawinsport.com/topics/item/an-overview-of-concussion-protocols-across-professional-sports-leagues#major-league-baseball-mlb-click-here-for-mlb-protocols
MLB implemented a new concussion policy in March 2011. The regulations governing concussions can be found in Attachment 36 of the Basic Agreement.17
In addition, for the 2014 season, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) agreed to a one-year test of a rule limiting home plate collisions, in part to try to reduce the increasing number of concussions suffered by catchers.18
Baseline testing
Baseline neurological testing is required for all players during spring training, or when a player joins a new team.19 The baseline evaluation consists of the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) program.
Education programme
The league and the MLBPA jointly “creat[ed] and distribut[ed] educational materials for Players on the assessment and management of concussions, including a Concussion Information Sheet and a joint memorandum.”20There are also training and educations sessions for club personnel “throughout the course of the season and during the off-season.”21
The league also works with national organisations to advise club personnel of “concussion-related continuing education sessions.”22
Additionally, in July 2014, MLB used its annual All-Star Game as a platform to educate youth baseball players about head injuries and the importance of wearing a batting helmet.23
Assessment Protocol
When a player is suspected of having a concussion, he must undergo SCAT testing, which will be performed in the clubhouse by the team physician or certified athletic trainer.24
When a player is diagnosed with a concussion, he goes on the concussion-specific seven-day disabled list, meaning that he must sit out for at least seven days. According to the league, the concussion-specific disabled list “[allows] concussions to clear, prevent players from returning prematurely and give clubs a full complement of players in one's absence."25
Who makes the decision on when player returns to participation?
The final decision lies with the league’s medical director and the MLBPA’s concussion expert.26In the event that the medical director and the MLBPA’s expert cannot agree on whether the player should be returned to play, they will refer the matter to an independent expert, who will make the final decision.27
The player’s club must submit a “Return to Play” form to the league’s medical director. As explained by Stephania Bell, a clinical orthopaedic specialist and ESPN’s injury analyst, “in that form, the club's head physician must establish that:
all symptoms at rest and with exertion (including baseball-related activities) have cleared
,
ImPACT results have returned to baseline
, and
the club physician, in his or her judgment, feels it is safe for the player to return to competition.”28
“The medical director then has the right to request further documentation or consultation with other physicians before providing final clearance. Similar return-to-field criteria will be required for umpires.”29
“Additionally, each club is required to designate an MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) specialist, who is not one of the club physicians, in its home city.”30
In addition, a web-based medical records system, created in 2010, ensures that players medical histories, injuries, and treatment plans are documented.31 This allows for team doctors and trainers to keep track of each player’s history of concussions and make any necessary adjustments in treatment.