Maddon knew Arrieta would be upset any time he got lifted early, especially after tossing 229 innings for the Chicago Cubs on his way to winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2015.
Maddon knew Arrieta might just feel invincible after shouldering the burden of huge innings while compiling a 1.77 ERA. He didn't want the right-hander thinking he could pitch that much every year.
Arrieta bought into Maddon's plan, and it's gotten him to the NL Championship Series with 197 1/3 innings and a 3.10 ERA.
With the series 1-1, Arrieta starts for the Cubs against Los Angeles' Rich Hill on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.