Workloads may be catching up with workhorses like Sabathia, Halladay

With a wicked changeup and a smooth delivery, he remains durable. An early season funk led to a career-worst in the percentage of extra base hits allowed, but

Tom Verducci | Sep 24, 2013

Workloads may be catching up with workhorses like Sabathia, Halladay /

CC Sabathia had an off-year and was shut down this week with a hamstring injury. — CC Sabathia had an off-year and was shut down this week with a hamstring injury :: Frank Franklin II/AP

With a wicked changeup and a smooth delivery, he remains durable. An early season funk led to a career-worst in the percentage of extra base hits allowed, but Hamels still went 7-5 with a 2.96 ERA in his last 20 starts. No reason to worry.

Published Sep 24, 2013

TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.