Royals' Brad Keller: Will have pitch count monitored

Manager Ned Yost said that Keller will be capped at 100 pitches in his start Monday against the Athletics and any additional turns that follow this season, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Since Keller just turned 24 years old in July, the Royals' decision to act conservatively with his usage isn't too surprising, especially since the 46-85 club having little incentive to overextend the righty at this stage of the season. Keller has cleared 100 pitches in 17 of his 27 outings this season and has covered at least six innings in eight consecutive turns, so the workload restriction could be most punitive to him in leagues that count quality starts as a category.