There's a ton of truth in Ken Eriksen's comments. The biggest problem is that catchers are rarely taught how to properly catch the ball. Hand injuries occur when balls are palmed especially in softball because of the distance between the thumb and index finger in a mitt style glove. The thumb no longer has an index finger to support it. It's on it's own. Palm caught balls force even more separation. I've caught maybe a million of baseballs and never had a hand injury beyond a little numbness.
Extra padding, batting gloves, sting guards, snake oil........... wont make up for improper technique
Good technique is definitely important, but it turns out that players aren't perfect every time. Mistakes happen. My DD prefers to have a little extra protection for when they do.