Aaron Harang is Breaking Down

I don't profess to be an expert in pitchcountology, and I tend to think that a big old hoss of a fella like Aaron Harang can handle some heavy work, but my eyebrows are certainly raised upon reading that he left Saturday night's start after only one inning and has been scratched from his next start with soreness in his back.

They're raised because his last full start was a ten-inning performance in which he threw 121 high-pressure pitches while preserving a 1-1 tie against the Brewers. Indeed, before his aborted outing on Saturday, Harang hasn't had a start in which he has thrown fewer than 100 pitches since April 13th. Not counting Saturday, he has averaged 110 pitches a game, and leads the National League in number of pitches thrown.

Obviously someone has to lead the league in that category, and obviously the guy in second place in that category is doing just fine, but one wonders if the Reds haven't been riding the only pitcher they have that is worth a damn a bit too hard this year.