Heavy workload likely catching up to SF Giants All-Star in second half of the year

Robbie Ray has not been nearly as sharp in the second half of this season. Fatigue could be a factor, as the 2025 SF Giants All-Star is pitching in his first full season since 2022.

Heavy workload likely catching up to SF Giants All-Star in second half of the year

For a lot of starters, the workload over the past few years has been chaotic. There was the pandemic-shortened season in 2020, which was reduced to just 60 games. There was a lockout before the 2022 season, so the normal offseason routine was disrupted for many players.

This is especially true if a player sustained a major injury like Ray. He won the 2021 AL Cy Young Award and then landed a five-year, $115 million pact with the Seattle Mariners.

The southpaw pitcher made 32 starts in his first year with Seattle. He only made one more appearance with the Mariners before undergoing Tommy John surgery. That came in 2023, and then he was on the shelf for the remainder of the year.

When the Giants acquired him after the 2023 season, they knew they were playing the long game. He was still recovering from major elbow surgery, and was not expected to return until the middle of 2024. When he did make his way back to the mound, he only made seven starts before finishing the year on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

The 12-year veteran was fantastic in the first half of this season. He pitched to a 2.65 ERA in 20 starts while earning his second All-Star nod. Ray was joined by Logan Webb and Randy Rodríguez in the All-Star game this season.

As the innings have piled up, Ray's effectiveness has waned. He has a 5.54 ERA in 12 starts in the second half of the year. This includes an outing on Friday night, where he allowed five earned runs in 4.2 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At 182.1 innings in 2025, Ray is inching toward a career high in that category. His career high in innings was 193.1 innings with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021.

The Giants' playoff hopes hinged to some degree on how effective Ray could be down the stretch. However, Ray has struggled in the second half, and the Giants' playoff odds have plumetted nearly to zero after dropping six of the last seven games.

More from Around the Foghorn: