GM Mike Rizzo rubbishes news about Stephen Strasburg’s 160 inning limit in the season - MLB Update
GM Mike Rizzo denies any limit fixed about the number of innings Stephen Strasburg will pitch in the season. Clarifying that those are just the media speculations and have nothing to do with what they think of him, he says he will pitch for as long as he
is good enough.
Neither manager Davey Johnson nor any staff member knew about this, as he stated and expressed his own surprise over the kind of baseless calculations the media has come up with.
Ever since fans had heard the news about the 160 inning pitch limit, reasons were being explored as to what prompted Nationals to say anything pre-mature about their ace. For some it appeared more a mind game type of tactic and for others it mirrored their
strategy to make optimum use of the strong rotation they have.
However an emphatic denial by the GM has silenced speculations and has made it clear on everyone that they are concerned more about the players than on drawing plans unlikely to be materialised.
"Look, the media put (the 160-innings limit) out there, not me," Rizzo said. "It probably comes from what Jordan Zimmermann pitched last year.”
He will be shut down only after consultation with pitching coach and the manager and therefore he stressed that all depends on how games pan out and how circumstances guide their decisions.
"I don't have a specific pitch count in my mind, a specific innings count in my mind. I am going to refer to my experience as a farm director, as a player development guy, and knowing his body. In conjunction with Davey Johnson and (pitching coach) Steve
McCatty, when we feel he's had enough, we're going to shut him down," he explained.
Stephen has tremendous talent for shining in the big league. If Nationals have to really live up to their season prospects, he has to perform consistently.
Regardless of the number of pitches Stephen throws the way he has fared in the season so far, he can be a real threat to the batters.
Only thing Nationals will hope that Tommy John surgery he went through recently will be effective to an extent of keeping any issues away from him at-least in the season.
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