MLB Starters Increase Workloads Amid Fatigue Concerns

Matthew Boyd, at age 34, is experiencing a significant increase in innings pitched this season with the Chicago Cubs, logging 130 2/3 innings, surpassing his total from the previous two years combined. This rise in workload challenges the traditional approach in Major League Baseball where pitchers' innings are often capped to preserve health, reflecting a shift toward individualized monitoring and case-by-case decisions by teams. Other pitchers such as Clay Holmes, Jesús Luzardo, Garrett Crochet, and Bryan Woo are also seeing major innings increases as their teams contend for playoff positions. Teams emphasize ongoing communication and monitoring between starts to manage fatigue, with executives like Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns noting the ineffectiveness of fixed innings limits and the importance of subjective and objective assessments of pitcher health. This evolving strategy aims to balance performance demands with injury prevention during critical stretches of the season. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the national baseball teams are preparing for a busy schedule of international competitions through the end of the year, with increased support from the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association to enhance the sport's development and competitiveness.