Per Lancaster
Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman decided last night to shut Shields down for the year in an effort to preserve the long-term health of his arm. Shields has pitched 215 innings this season after throwing a career-high 186 innings between Durham and Tampa Bay last year.
"We decided to just shut him down," said Maddon. "There's nothing wrong with him; we're just going purely based off innings pitched and the number of pitches that he's thrown this year. We just wanted to stop it right now."
Shields was taken aback by the decision--especially being told the day before the Southern California native was scheduled to start before family and friends.
"I was pretty shocked," he said. "I'm not really too happy with the full decision, but it is what it is and there's nothing I can really do about it."
"We decided to just shut him down," said Maddon. "There's nothing wrong with him; we're just going purely based off innings pitched and the number of pitches that he's thrown this year. We just wanted to stop it right now."
Shields was taken aback by the decision--especially being told the day before the Southern California native was scheduled to start before family and friends.
"I was pretty shocked," he said. "I'm not really too happy with the full decision, but it is what it is and there's nothing I can really do about it."
Can't really say that I'm totally mad about this decision, seeing as I'd like to see Shields slowly turned into a pitcher that can counted on for 230-240 innings per season and strikeout 200-220 hitters. He went from mid-180s to 215 in one season and I think that, even with his effortless mechanics, is enough reason for a shutdown.