Sean Doolittle blames workload for recent struggles

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle has hit a wall in recent outings, and he thinks his workload has something to do with it.

Doolittle has allowed six runs in his past three outings, including a disastrous blown save against the New York Mets, and his ERA since the All-Star break sits at 6.35. On Tuesday, he stated his belief that an increased workload may have something to do with it.

Sean Doolittle on the show now, discussing his recent struggles: "I haven't really amassed this kind of bulk in several years. There's nights like last night where you feel a little bit out of wack, a little bit sluggish.. It catches up to you after a while." #GrantAndDanny

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) August 13, 2019

Doolittle has had injury problems that have limited his workload in past seasons. He’s thrown 50.2 innings this year, and if he surpasses 60, it would be the first time he’ll have done so since 2014. Still, fatigue issues are not what you want to hear from a pitcher, especially in mid-August in the middle of a close playoff race. Maybe it’s time to bring back the bullpen cart to save him a little effort.