Below are the latest playing time changes for pitchers since Thursday, with the big development being the Rangers scrambling to fill their rotation after injuries to Jon Gray and Cody Bradford.

Below are the latest playing time changes (in plate appearances) for position players since Wednesday. Kristian Campbell might be an even bigger factor this year than we thought!

Below are the notable pitcher playing time changes in the last 48 hours or so. For further detail on the methodology and more recent changes, my first rundown from Tuesday is here.

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There aren’t many big changes since our first iteration of this series, but knowing that it’s draft time, I’ll be keeping you posted on hitters every other day until the season starts! Here’s the playing time swings of at least 70 plate appearances since Monday.

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Following up on yesterday’s post going over position player playing time changes, we now turn our attention to the pitchers. Unlike hitters, where all playing time is shown in plate appearances, we’re splitting into two tables here. Starters are shown with games started, and relievers are shown with relief innings. When looking at our projections on a player page, you’ll notice that for all relievers, innings and games pitched are the same; that’s just how our projection system works to allocate reliever innings. I’d pay more attention to the innings, since the projected games pitched number will often be higher than the actually-expected number simply to inflate a pitcher’s innings to what we feel is accurate.

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Hi everyone, and welcome to the first iteration of Position Player Playing Time Changes! Since this is the first one of these, I wanted to lay out my process here with Opening Day fast approaching.

Our Depth Charts projections are extremely fluid, and RosterResource guru Jason Martinez makes many tweaks and larger changes every day. Knowing that, we found it prudent to provide a snapshot of the recent changes, looking at the last week. All we’re doing is pulling projected plate appearances for March 3, and comparing those to March 10.

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Below you’ll find a roundup of notable reliever-related news from April 20-26 , organized by team (not every team will have notes).

You can also view the Closer Depth Chart for a full picture of bullpen hierarchies.

American League

Minnesota Twins

Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart have both filled in admirably, but Jhoan Duran appears to be nearing a return to the majors. His first rehab appearance on Tuesday didn’t go well, and he topped out at just 99 mph, high for anyone not named Mason Miller but a low top-end velocity for him. Still, an early-May return appears to be in the cards, which will return Stewart and Jax to setup roles.

Oakland Athletics

Mason Miller finally pitched on back-to-back days! I’ll believe three in a row is possible when I see it, but this firmly entrenches him as the true closer, rather than “closer when he’s available, which is TBD.”

Seattle Mariners

Matt Brash had his rehab from elbow inflammation paused indefinitely, and he’s going to see Dr. Keith Meister, which is almost never good news. His season could be in real jeopardy.

Texas Rangers

Kirby Yates‘ 11 scoreless innings have him entrenched as the closer, with Bruce Bochy preferring to deploy David Robertson as more of a multi-inning fireman. It’s deja vu all over again for José Leclerc, who’s back in a setup/middle relief role while he works on his control and command, similar to last year.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks

Paul Sewald will have his rehab slowed a bit, though it doesn’t appear to be a real setback. Kevin Ginkel should continue to close until Sewald’s ready sometime in May.

Chicago Cubs

Adbert Alzolay was removed from the closer’s role while he tightens up his command and hopefully gets less homer-prone. Hector Neris looks to be the closer for now, though he’s not pitching particularly well either. Keep an eye on Mark Leiter Jr., whose ERA is still 0.00, and Yency Almonte, who’s rebounded after a tough start.

Colorado Rockies

Justin Lawrence is on a roll and looks to have reclaimed the closer’s job that was very much not his in the early going, with Jake Bird, Nick Mears, and Victor Vodnik moving up the depth chart. Tyler Kinley continues to pitch poorly.

Milwaukee Brewers

The ninth inning will continue to be fluid until Devin Williams is back, but the latest is that Joel Payamps and Trevor Megill look to be the two guys. Abner Uribe’s control might just be a bit too spotty to be the last line of defense.

Pittsburgh Pirates

David Bednar was on a modest run of three scoreless appearances before giving up three runs without recording an out on Friday. But as I’ve been saying every week, he’s given himself plenty of leash and it’s not like Aroldis Chapman is pitching well either.

Below you’ll find a roundup of notable reliever-related news from April 13-19 , organized by team (not every team will have notes).

You can also view the Closer Depth Chart for a full picture of bullpen hierarchies.

American League

Cleveland Guardians

Emmanuel Clase is of course the guy in the ninth, but it looks like Hunter Gaddis, who’s still unscored upon this year, is the backup. He’s struck out 38% of opponents, walking just 8%.

Houston Astros

Things couldn’t be going much worse for Josh Hader, but he’s obviously not going to lose his job anytime soon. He’s allowed more earned runs this year than he did all of last year.

Kansas City Royals

Will Smith continues pitching terribly, and James McArthur is the undisputed closer now, with just one walk to 12 strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

Los Angeles Angels

Robert Stephenson being out for the year means Carlos Estévez has almost no chance of losing his closing job this season, with Matt Moore the only other Angel reliever pitching well.

Seattle Mariners

I’ll probably continue to note every week that Andrés Muñoz is the highest-leverage reliever in the bullpen, but that Ryne Stanek will continue to get saves on days Muñoz is the fireman.

Texas Rangers

Kirby Yates has the team’s last two saves but it’s not fully clear that he’s the guy in the ninth, with José Leclerc pitching better of late and David Robertson always steady.

Texas Rangers

Kirby Yates has the team’s last two saves but it’s not fully clear that he’s the guy in the ninth, with José Leclerc pitching better of late and David Robertson always steady.

Toronto Blue Jays

Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson are back from the IL, and Chad Green is on it with a shoulder strain, so he’ll almost certainly be out for a while. Swanson looked rough in his first appearance back so Yimi García is still Romano’s top setup man, with Trevor Richards pitching in.

National League

Colorado Rockies

Things remain a mess here, with no clear closer with the Rockies so rarely in position to use one. Nick Mears and Victor Vodnik are the only two guys pitching particularly well out of the bullpen.

Milwaukee Brewers

Abner Uribe had been the closer to start the season, but he’s been pitching in lower leverage and often multiple innings lately. Manager Pat Murphy’s been playing the matchups instead, with Joel Payamps and Hoby Milner picking up saves. Just back from the IL, Trevor Megill figures to factor in as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates

David Bednar had yet another rough outing on Wednesday, but there’s still zero indication that he’s no longer the closer. Aroldis Chapman pitching poorly and then getting suspended probably takes some heat off Bednar for now anyway.

Below you’ll find a roundup of notable reliever-related news from April 6-12 , organized by team (not every team will have notes).

You can also view the Closer Depth Chart for a full picture of bullpen hierarchies.

American League

Chicago White Sox

John Brebbia’s injury has cleared the way for Michael Kopech to be the undisputed closer. Pedro Grifol would ideally like to use him in one-inning stints but he’s often had to be deployed as a fireman as the White Sox try to eke out some wins.

Kansas City Royals

Will Smith continues to get hit around, and James McArthur has put his early-season struggles behind him. It sure looks like the latter is the closer and the former may pitch in lower leverage—as he did Friday—to work out the kinks.

Los Angeles Angels

Robert Stephenson is set to start a rehab assignment Sunday; Carlos Estévez is expected to remain the closer but Estévez, Stephenson, and Matt Moore should form a good back-end troika once Stephenson is ready for his Angels debut.

Minnesota Twins

Jhoan Duran threw a bullpen session on Friday and will throw another before hopefully departing on a rehab assignment within the week. The Twins have a staggering seven relievers on the IL, and getting their closer back will go a long way towards idealizing the full-strength bullpen that was projected as the league’s best before all the injuries hit.

Oakland Athletics

Still no back-to-backs for Mason Miller, and frankly I’m not sure he’ll ever be green-lit for pitching on consecutive days this year. That makes earnings saves hard to line up, but pitch for pitch he looks like the most dominant arm in baseball.

Tampa Bay Rays

Since getting destroyed in Colorado and blaming the baseballs from the humidor, Pete Fairbanks looks back on track. His command will always come and go but the stuff looks great and his velocity is normal for him.

Texas Rangers

José Leclerc pitched in lower leverage on Friday and while he didn’t give up any runs, his command is still erratic. My guess is he’ll stay there for a bit, with David Robertson and Kirby Yates handling the eighth and ninth.

Toronto Blue Jays

Chad Green, Trevor Richards, and Yimi García have all performed admirably as substitutes, but it’s great for the Blue Jays that Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano both started rehab assignments on Friday. Romano should regain his closing role right away, with Swanson helping set him up.

National League

Cincinnati Reds

Alexis Díaz hasn’t looked quite right—and really he hasn’t since the first half of last year—but there’s no inkling that he’ll be moved out of the closer’s role. Lucas Sims and Fernando Cruz are the only Reds relievers pitching particularly well anyway.

Colorado Rockies

The ninth is an absolute mess for Colorado, with Jake Bird recording their only save of the season and presumed co-closers Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley both pitching terribly. Keep an eye on Nick Mears, who throws hard and—although he’s got control issues—has allowed just two earned runs in 6.1 innings thus far.

Miami Marlins

I’m starting to get concerned with Tanner Scott, whose control has been awful. He’s walked 30% of the batters he’s faced (nine out of 20), landing just 53% of his pitches for strikes. But he’s been effectively wild, keeping runs off the board so far. It probably helps his case that the Marlins aren’t going anywhere and Anthony Bender isn’t exactly pushing for saves.

Philadelphia Phillies

As has been the case with Rob Thomson’s bullpens, a flexible closer-by-committee situation is brewing. José Alvarado, Jeff Hoffman, and Gregory Soto have all recorded saves, and Seranthony Domínguez may get more leverage if he can shake off the early-season rust. Matt Strahm and Yunior Marte have both pitched excellently as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates

I’m really not liking what I’m seeing with David Bednar, whose command just looks off, with a lot of misses high and to the glove side. Fortunately, the stuff looks just fine and Derek Shelton gave him a vote of confidence, even with Aroldis Chapman starting his Pirates tenure incredibly well.

St. Louis Cardinals

Not sure how long it’ll last, but it’s interesting to see Ryan Helsley transforming into a workhorse in the early going, pitching in eight of the Cardinals’ first 14 games. Him being more available than in years past will limit save chances for Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero.

Washington Nationals

Similarly to Bednar, Kyle Finnegan just doesn’t look quite right, and his top setup man (Hunter Harvey) is pitching quite well. Still, there’s no sign of a change in the offing.

Below you’ll find a roundup of notable reliever-related news for the season so far, organized by team (not every team will have notes). This is the first update of the season and this will run every Saturday.

You can also view the Closer Depth Chart for a full picture of bullpen hierarchies.

American League

Baltimore Orioles

Craig Kimbrel’s velocity is down (93 mph on average), but he’s not concerned. He tends to add velocity as the season goes on and has struck out four of the seven batters he’s faced despite the lower velo.

Chicago White Sox

John Brebbia looks headed to the IL with a calf strain (a recurrence of the injury from Spring Training), though Michael Kopech appears to be the closer right now anyhow. That said, Kopech has run some high pitch counts and has walked five hitters in 5.1 innings, so he may be unable to work back-to-backs until he’s more efficient. Steven Wilson is the likeliest backup and Jordan Leasure has two scoreless appearances to start his career.

Detroit Tigers

A.J. Hinch won’t name a closer, but Jason Foley is definitely his most trusted arm. But Hinch won’t limit Foley to the ninth; he pitched a tie game against a tougher part of the order on Friday, for example, with Andrew Chafin trying for the save before Alex Lange had to bail him out. Shelby Miller and Tyler Holton have also excelled in what could be a sneaky-good, flexible bullpen.

Kansas City Royals

Even though both are running high ERAs in the very early going, it looks like Will Smith and James McArthur are co-closers, depending on matchups (Smith is lefty, McArthur a righty) and John Schreiber and Chris Stratton will help get the ball to them. Angel Zerpa also got a couple holds as a situational lefty and could sneak a save or two if Smith’s unavailable and the matchups work out.

Los Angeles Angels

Carlos Estévez is definitely the closer—and will be when Robert Stephenson returns sometime this month—but beyond that is a bit of a mess. Matt Moore has been conventionally used as a setup man, with José Soriano pitching in high leverage, but for two-plus innings. He could make some spot starts, which pushes Adam Cimber up the depth chart.

Minnesota Twins

Griffin Jax has gotten the Twins’ only save with Jhoan Duran on the IL with an oblique strain; he’s throwing from 150 feet with no pain but his timetable remains up in the air. Both Jax and Brock Stewart have looked good and we’ll assume they’re splitting closing duties until Minnesota has a few more saves in the books.

Oakland Athletics

No saves yet for the A’s, and while Mason Miller is far and away their most talented arm—reliever or otherwise—he didn’t work back-to-back days all Spring, nor has he this season; two of his three appearances have been for multiple innings. Lucas Erceg could be the next-best option if a save chance comes the day after Miller pitches, with T.J. McFarland the top lefty.

Seattle Mariners

Scott Servais has never been afraid to use Andrés Muñoz for multiple innings, or a single inning earlier than the ninth. Ryne Stanek will pick up a save here and there as that happens (as he did on Monday), and Matt Brash and Gregory Santos could do the same when they’re off the IL.

Tampa Bay Rays

Pete Fairbanks has been off with his command and his velocity is down 1.5 mph compared to last year. But it’s early, and the Rays will likely stick with him for at least a little bit. Jason Adam is next in line.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers don’t yet have a save, and both José Leclerc and David Robertson have finished games. Robertson has out-pitched Leclerc but is also likelier to get 4+ outs, which could actually lead to Leclerc getting more saves.

Toronto Blue Jays

Closer Jordan Romano and setup man Erik Swanson should be back from injury in fairly short order, with the Blue Jays taking a “cobble things together” approach to the ninth inning in their absences. Chad Green has the team’s one save, but Yimi García and Trevor Richards have pitched in high leverage as well.

National League

Chicago Cubs

Craig Counsell hasn’t named a closer officially, but it’s very clear based on usage that Adbert Alzolay is the guy, as if there was any doubt.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers, ravaged by pitching injuries (seven pitchers on the IL, including key relievers Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen) have turned to Daniel Hudson as their top setup man with Joe Kelly struggling. He earned a save on Sunday and could get a few more if Dave Roberts deploys Evan Phillips earlier, as he’s wont to do.

Miami Marlins

Tanner Scott’s control has been atrocious dating back to Spring Training, but the slumping Marlins don’t necessarily have anyone better to go to right now. Anthony Bender has looked good but there may not be much sense in going away from Scott just yet, either.

Milwaukee Brewers

Abner Uribe got touched up on Friday but looks to be the sole closer regardless, even as Pat Murphy said he’d play matchups with Devin Williams out half the year with a back injury. Trevor Megill is currently on the concussion IL and Joel Payamps hasn’t pitched well, so Uribe should have a strong hold on the job.

New York Mets

Edwin Díaz has also had a downtick in velocity, but he’s touched 98-99 and has pitched in some cold-weather games. I’m not sounding the alarm bells just yet, and his slider is in good form.

Pittsburgh Pirates

David Bednar looks recovered from a back injury that led to some unavailability at the start of the season, though he’s yet to work back-to-back games. Aroldis Chapman could still get a save here and there if Bednar’s still ramping up a bit.

Washington Nationals

Kyle Finnegan‘s earned both Nationals saves this year, but Hunter Harvey’s been a lot sharper. Tanner Rainey, coming off Tommy John surgery (he made just one appearance at the end of last season) has been erratic, with a 25% walk rate and without his usual velocity.