Indians' Bauer using brain stimulation tech to improve changeup

Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer has a reputation for thinking outside the box to improve his craft, and now he's using brain stimulation technology to help revamp his changeup.

Sports Illustrated's Ben Reiter detailed the procedure in his profile of Bauer. Studies have shown the technique Bauer is using, known as Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), can help subjects acquire skills faster.

Bauer hooks up electrodes to his temples and has one milliamp current run into his brain in an effort to improve the performance of the organ.

The technique, which the U.S. military has adopted to improve the capabilities of target analysts, is a new addition to Bauer's already diverse and eclectic preparation to pitch at an elite level, which includes a speed camera capturing the movement, spin rate, and axis of his pitches.

In 2018, Bauer posted a career-low 2.21 ERA and league-leading 2.44 FIP en route to a sixth-place finish for the AL Cy Young Award.

The 28-year-old is projected to slot into the No. 3 spot in the Indians' rotation to begin the 2019 campaign.