Need some advice

Not saying definitively right or wrong but what he did in the playoff game was quite different than what he did in the earlier game.  I could understand the logic behind the playoff game scenario, assuming your son's pitch count was low and his arm felt great.  Hypothetical - I'll assume he is #1 guy.  Regional playoff - win or season over. With five innings available, he cruises through three with low pitch count and team is still in the game.  You are home team so someone else is going to have to eat two innings at some point and the team is going to have to scratch a few runs together.  Would you rather be able to finish that game with #1 on the hill or someone else?  And if #1 is still in the game making throws and staying warm, is this that terrible?  (I know that some here would say yes).  #2 guy was also efficient and game was low scoring so not much time elapsed between 4th and 6th innings.

Now the game where he pitched 1st, 3rd and 6th innings, I have no idea.  There is also much to discuss with the starter going to ss after pitching but that's another discussion.

So, if the hypothetical circumstances were close to accurate, one could argue that he didn't lie and do the same thing.  Still worth having a discussion between now and next season.  Nothing wrong with talking to the coach when care of son's arm is in question. 

Step one is how does your son respond physically to the situation? If not we'll, no other research is necessary. Over the next few days you will probably get a lot of response here. But we're all coaches or stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. We're not sports orthos. I suggest doing some research. Also talk to a sports ortho. I'm guessing a sports ortho wouldn't like going from hot to cold to hot to cold to hot.

As far as position after pitching, in travel we removed pitchers from the game. We often DHed for them even if they were good hitters. In high school coaches typically don't have this kind of flexibility due to lack of depth. I never gave returning to a position deep thought. My son closed in high school. My concern was coming from a position, eight warm ups and throwing hard.

After you do the research have your son deal with the coach. If that doesn't work then step in and protect his health.

What kind of league rules allow this?  All the rules I'm familiar with don't allow pitchers to return as pitchers.  

Golfman: I was thinking the same thing. Also, when the pitcher returns back to the mound from his fielding, is he treated as a "new" pitcher again and get more warm-ups..ugh! If he is a good hitter I also wouldn't want him back in the field as SS. A position with fewer throws 1B, or even 3B (fewer chances than SS) without taking practice throws from 1B between innings.

Sounds to me the problem is less about the P but the team gave them no run support. Coach needs to see who needs work w hitting, and put some time into instruction.

here, once P leaves he cannot return as P.

Thanks for the replies.  Golf & Ripken:  In Wisconsin you can take  pitcher out and put him back in as long as he stays on the field.  I don't like the rule either but I haven't seen it used before until this year.  Cabbage:  thanks for the insight, it is somewhat different than the first time around.  I just grouped them together because of frustration.  RJM:  son was fine  after the outing.  He looked significantly slower when he came in the second time, but was physically unaffected after the game.  I'll definitely start researching this to see what the medical field thinks and go from there.  Son has no problem talking to coach about this (they have great relationship) and coach is always willing to listen to his players' concerns, so we'll go with that approach.  Thanks again for all your insight.

Its happened a few times in the big leagues so long as they don't leave the field.  I remember it with Kent Tekulve (on this list below) but the story is about Les Lancaster.  HS's can have different rules, but its allowed in MLB.  This was first pointed out to me by an umpire friend.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/175

NFHS rule 3-1-2 says, in part: "A player may be removed as pitcher and returned as pitcher only once per inning, provided the return as pitcher does not violate either the pitching, substitution or charged conference rule."  (copied from a 2009 PDF)

In other words, the above scenario is legal in high school rules.

i have seen it done in mlb, but only for one batter.  Seems you could have a major defensive liability if done for more than one. 

As as for the nfhs rule, would that apply after the inning is over?  I think the concer here is the multiple innings away from pitching  

Yes, it applies over multiple innings.  I imagine that the rationale for the rule is pace of the game rather than pitcher arm safety.

1986 - Mets vs. Reds Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco were swapping in and out of RF and the mound during extra innings.  There was a fight and a bunch of guys got tossed.

But for the question by the OP - not a great setup at all.