Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game, are included on a starting lineup card or are announced as ex ante substitutes, whether they actually play or not,[1] although, in Major League Baseball, the application of this statistic does not extend to consecutive games played streaks.
A starting pitcher, then, may be credited with a game played even as he is not credited with a game started, an inning pitched, or a complete game.