The wall… If you hit it as a batter, it means a double or triple. If you hit it as an outfielder it means a spot on “SportsCenter” and maybe the disabled list. And if you hit it as a pitcher, it means trouble.
The risk of fatigue, mechanical failures and the dreaded “dead arm” runs especially high for young hurlers in the midst of breakout seasons that carry them to career highs in innings. Fantasy managers must be on alert for signs of breakdown or reports of enforced rest. It’s not too late to flip a fading 20-something arm for a solid, more durable vet to get you through the dog days. Here are some cautionary candidates:
Phil Hughes, Yankees
The Bombers’ careful management of the 24-year-old and his bullpen stints kept miles off his odometer but left him little prepared for the grind of making 20-plus big-league starts. Hughes is 23 1/3 innings away from his professional high, set back in 2006. He already has hit some doldrums, with a 5.58 ERA and single-game high of six strikeouts in his past seven starts, and he may have starts skipped down the stretch to ready him for the postseason.
David Price, Rays
The demise of the Red Sox is good news for Tampa Bay fans and a wakeup call for Price watchers. As the Rays pull away with at least the wild card, the team’s brain trust will don the kid gloves for the electric 24-year-old southpaw, who sits 22 innings away from last season’s high of 162 2/3. With as many as six playoff starts in the offing, and top prospect Jeremy Hellickson in the fold for spot starts, Price will be limited down the stretch.
Mat Latos, Padres
The Friars’ ace already is two-thirds of an inning past his pro high, and he will be managed carefully through late August and September by a squad with playoff aspirations. In his last five starts last season, Latos ran up a 7.71 ERA and perilous 1.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 21 innings.
Francisco Liriano, Twins
Hard to say the lefty is slowing down when he brought a 21-inning scoreless streak into last night’s start at Cleveland. But Liriano still is a pitcher with a history of arm trouble stepping into uncharted innings territory, surpassing last season’s total of 136 2/3 in last night’s outing. He has a career 5.06 ERA in September.
C.J. Wilson, Rangers
The converted reliever may be the prototype for Texas’ program of building up pitchers’ arms, but there is no way around the fact that Wilson already has exceeded his career innings high, which was established when he was at High-A in 2002. Two straight lousy starts (combined 8 2/3 innings, 13 hits, seven runs) may be a blip, or evidence of a novel workload taking its toll.
Mike Leake, Reds
Skipping the minor leagues has its pitfalls: Leake has just two quality starts out of his past nine, with opponents batting .318 against him in that span. The 22-year-old rookie has a 6.75 ERA when he faces a team for the third time.