"They've been really good with my innings and my pitch counts since the start of the year," Smith said after the 80-pitch outing. "Making sure you're doing everything behind the scenes in the weight room and training room and all that stuff. Making sure you're ready every five, six days, whatever it is."
A White Sox starting pitcher has not thrown more than five innings since Aug. 2, indicating a significant struggle for the starting rotation. The bullpen has been under increased strain due to the starters' inefficiencies.
The Braves are obsessed with covering innings. Brian Snitker talks about it... The pitchers themselves talk about it, and I have no trouble believing that guys like Elder have internalized the messaging.