Need advice 2 weeks off

First of all, Welcome to the HSBB Web STL!
Great question, I am sure you will get great advice from many knowledgeable posters.
Rest is good. Maybe long toss instead of bullpens until just before his next start.
How much longer does his season go before he shuts down?

I would be leary of resting a whole week if he has to start back up in 2. I would go to easy bullpens the first week - thought being getting bloodflow through the body structures and then doing a couple regular bullpens the next week and they shouldn't be intense except for maybe 10-20 regular fastballs at the end. If you have a radar gun available that would be good as that may help in the thought process and evaluating intensity. Also has he ever been in this situation before? That may also help you as to what you did then and how he responded to it.
Hopefully some more knowledgable people come in and give their 2 cents.

Tim Robertson

STL, that is a lot of pitching for a 17 year old arm. You don't want to burn your son out before college. JMO.

Welcome to HSBBW.

You couldn't have come to a better place for answers.

I can only speak from experience with my son who also is a pitcher and faced this same dilema on a few occasions.

He actualy did both. Light bullpen with long toss another day. The bullpen allowed him to throw to a mitt which helped keep in sharp while keep his mechanics tuned up. And of course long toss which helped promote arm speed.

Thanks everyone...I think I will rest him for 3-4 days and then throw a light bullpen and long toss a bit and then next week throw a little more intense bullpen prior to his start.

I would still throw bullpens to stay fresh, but I wouldn't over exert myself.

He has 6 more weeks of showcases before he shuts it down. The hope is that he gets an offer from a school of choice within the next 30-90 days.

You remind me of myself. The drop in velocity shows he has a tired arm or maybe even an injury. It is your job to take care of him. You will NOT get an offer at the velocity you describe. What does he say? Shut him down for a week, and then do some catch. See how he feels. If he doesn't feel OK, then go to the doctor. If he is OK, then proceed to long toss.

When my son was in high school summer ball, I used to think every start was of crucial importance. Now I see that the most important thing is the long term care of his arm.