Bullpen Report: April 16, 2021

NEW FEATURE ALERT! We have added an upgraded version of RosterResource’s Closer Depth Chart to FanGraphs. Read more about it here.

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.

The 2021 version of Bullpen Report includes five different sections, as well as the closer chart, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

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.)

Notable Workloads

•None

 

Injury News

•Jordan Romano, TOR: Placed on 10-Day IL (ulnar neuritis); no timetable for return. | RosterResource

Romano joins Julian Merryweather (strained oblique), Tyler Chatwood (strained biceps), and Kirby Yates (Tommy John surgery) on the Injured List, leaving the Blue Jays’ bullpen in a vulnerable state as they began a nine-game road trip on Thursday.

Rafael Dolis is the leading candidate for save chances with David Phelps and Ryan Borucki in the mix if the Jays go with a committee approach. Anthony Castro, a former Detroit Tigers prospect who had an impressive Spring Training (9.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 15K), could also work his way into the mix if he continues to pitch well. The 26-year-old pitched two scoreless innings in his Blue Jays’ debut on Wednesday,

There is no timetable for Romano’s return. The 27-year-old pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in his first three appearances of 2021 before struggling in his outing on Tuesday (0.2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB). It was a small sample, but he did not appear to be as dominant as he was in 15 appearances last season prior to a season-ending finger injury.

Outlier Saves

•David Price, LAD | RosterResource

The Dodgers’ top four relievers — Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen, Corey Knebel, and Victor Gonzalez — all pitched on Wednesday, although none of them had a high pitch count or had pitched for at least two days prior. In other words, all would’ve been expected to be available on Thursday if needed. But a team as good as the defending World Champion Dodgers, who came into Thursday with a 10-2 record and five consecutive wins, might not have the same definition of “if needed” as most other teams.

With a 7-5 lead over the Rockies in the ninth inning, they didn’t use any of those aforementioned pitchers. It’s possible that they didn’t feel a threat from the Rockies. It’s possible that they just wanted to give Price, who has allowed five runs in his first 4.2 innings with the team, an opportunity to close out a victory and gain some confidence. In any case, the 35-year-old picked up his first career save with a scoreless ninth inning. After allowing back-to-back singles, he struck out Trevor Story and Garrett Hampson before closing things out on a Raimel Tapia groundout.

•Keynan Middleton, SEA | RosterResource

Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero both pitched in game one of Thursday’s double-header win over the Orioles, leaving Middleton as the obvious candidate for a save chance in game two. The 27-year-old did get the ball with a 2-1 lead in the seventh and he converted for his second save of 2021.

With the team’s closing situation a bit unclear all of a sudden — see Committee Clarity — Middleton could become a factor if he continues to be reliable in a high-leverage role. While he allowed four earned runs in his second appearance of the season, he’s pitched a scoreless inning in his other three outings.

 

Committee Clarity

•Scott Barlow, KCR | RosterResource

Going into Thursday’s game, four different pitchers had earned saves for the Royals in 2021 while the team’s most reliable setup men, Barlow and Josh Staumont, had yet to get a save chance. Staumont doesn’t have a save in 46 career appearances. Barlow had only three saves in 104 games since he debuted in 2018. If there is a closer committee, it has seemed that they’re not a part of it. That might be a preference of manager Mike Matheny to keep them in a setup role. But that was not the case on Thursday.

The 28-year-old Barlow, coming off of a poor outing on Monday (0.2 IP, 3 ER), pitched the final two innings to close out a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays and pick up his first save.

•Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero, SEA | RosterResource

If not for Montero’s three blown saves in his first five chances, his usage in the team’s game one win over the Orioles on Thursday might’ve raised fewer questions over how secure his hold is on the closer’s role. He did face the middle of the Orioles’ order with a 4-2 lead in the sixth, which is how some teams use their closer/best reliever these days.

But Graveman, despite getting the easier task against the bottom of the order, extended his scoreless streak to 11.1 innings (6 IP in 2021; last 5.1 IP of 2020). Thus, it’s the 30-year-old Graveman’s effectiveness just as much as Montero’s early struggles that has turned the team’s closing situation into a possible two-man job.

 

Losing A Grip

•None

 
Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.