Bullpen Report: April 11, 2022

The 2022 version of Bullpen Report includes five different sections, as well as the closer chart, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

We will always include a link to the full Closer Depth Chart at the bottom of the Bullpen Report each day. It’s also accessible from the RosterResource drop-down menu and from any RosterResource page. Please let us know what you think.

1. Notable Workloads: Primary closers or valuable members of a closer committee who have been deemed unavailable or likely unavailable for the current day due to recent workload.
2. Injury News
3. Outlier Saves: Explanation for a non-closer earning a save during the previous day.
4. Committee Clarity: Notes on a closer committee that clarify a pitcher’s standing in the group.
5. Losing A Grip: Struggling closers who could be on the hot seat.

The “RosterResource” link will take you to the corresponding team’s RosterResource depth chart, which will give you a better picture of the full bullpen and results of the previous six days (pitch count, save, hold, win, loss, blown save).

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.

Notable Workloads

•Joe Barlow, TEX: 23 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

If Barlow can’t pitch on Monday, Greg Holland and Matt Bush appear likeliest for a save. Brett Martin is an option in a situational spot with a lefty due.

Injury News

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Outlier Saves

•Ty Blach, COL | RosterResource

How’s this for a first career save: four scoreless innings… at Coors Field… against the Dodgers… in your first game with your hometown team… after not appearing in the majors since 2019. Pretty incredible stuff for the southpaw from Denver, whose great outing of long relief just so happened to be the last four innings of the Rockies’ 9-4 victory on Sunday. He’s never going to see traditional save chances, but with the Rockies—like most teams—being careful with their staters in the early going, Blach could pick up some unusual saves and wins as his teammates continue to stretch out.

•Dominic Leone, SFG | RosterResource

Camilo Doval and Jake McGee were, evidently, both unavailable on Sunday after pitching in each of the first two games of the Giants’ season, leaving Tyler Rogers as the only member of San Francisco’s closing triumvirate available. However, Gabe Kapler elected to deploy the submarining Rogers in the eighth inning against the 5-6-7 hitters of the Marlins lineup, leaving the bottom of the order for Leone. Leone retired the side in order with no issue, including two strikeouts, to become an unlikely first pitcher to earn a save for the Giants this year. He won’t see many more opportunities as the bullpen is currently constructed, but appears to be the fourth-most trusted arm in the bullpen.

 

Committee Clarity

•Art Warren and Tony Santillan, CIN | RosterResource

Santillan was the Reds’ closer on Opening Day but served as setup man to Warren on Sunday, with Warren making his first appearance of the season in the Reds’ fourth game of the season but showing no rust, throwing just nine pitches to earn his first career save.

Both righties have been impressive out of the bullpen dating back to last season and ought to see the ninth inning even when Lucas Sims returns from the IL when first eligible on April 14th or shortly thereafter. Luis Cessa is another possibility, and Justin Wilson is the top (and only) option from the left side.

•Tanner Rainey and Kyle Finnegan, WSN | RosterResource

Davey Martinez had intimated in Spring Training that he wouldn’t really have set closer coming into the season, though it had been assumed that Kyle Finnegan would get the first shot along with most of the ensuing ones. That wasn’t the case for the team’s first late-game lead of the season on Sunday, though Finnegan was the one who faced the middle of the order in the eighth, perhaps showing he’s more trusted. Rainey allowed a leadoff single to Mark Canha in the ninth but retired the next three batters faced.

Finnegan and Rainey should both factor squarely into the mix for save chances, with veterans Sean Doolittle and Steve Cishek also likely to get some opportunities.

•Jake Diekman, BOS | RosterResource

With Matt Barnes still rostered but unavailable due to back tightness, the Red Sox’s closer committee is even more up in the air than expected, with Diekman and Hansel Robles representing the top single-inning options along with just-extended multi-inning monster Garrett Whitlock. Robles pitched a scoreless eighth on Sunday and Diekman followed with a dominant ninth, striking out Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Gallo in order to seal Boston’s first win of the season.

Losing A Grip

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