Bullpen Report: April 24, 2023

The 2023 version of the 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

•Emmanuel Clase, CLE: 6 pitches on Sunday; 6 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Clase will probably be available on Monday since he was so efficient over the weekend, but Trevor Stephan would probably close if not. James Karinchak threw 34 pitches between Saturday and Sunday and likely won’t be available Monday, plus he’s been struggling.

•Pete Fairbanks, TBR: 13 pitches on Sunday; 16 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Co-closer Jason Adam would probably close on Monday if Fairbanks is unavailable for a third straight day.

•A.J. Minter, ATL: 30 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Nick Anderson threw 27 pitches on Sunday, so he might not be available Monday either. That would leave Dylan Lee, Joe Jiménez, Kirby Yates, and Jesse Chavez as the likeliest to lock down a save.

•Camilo Doval, SFG: 9 pitches on Sunday; 23 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

John Brebbia or one of the Rogers Brothers could close Monday if Doval is unavailable.

•Ryan Helsley, STL: 24 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Helsley hadn’t pitched in awhile before his heavy workload Sunday, so he might be good to go on Monday. If not, the Cardinals could go to Giovanny Gallegos for a third straight day on Tuesday, or hand the ball to Zack Thompson or Drew VerHagen.

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•Bryan Abreu, HOU | RosterResource

Despite not pitching on Saturday either, Ryan Pressly was unavailable on Sunday; perhaps he just needed another day to rebound from pitching in three of four games. Regardless, that left Abreu to shut the door for a second straight day, and while he let the first two men reach on a walk and hit by pitch, he rebounded to induce a double play before striking out Sam Hilliard to end the game for his second save of the season and lower his ERA t0 0.73. In a weird early-season quirk—in part due to Pressly missing a few games in the first week of the year with illness—the Astros have five saves so far, and their closer only has one of them.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•Michael Fulmer, CHC | RosterResource

Fulmer, if not the Cubs’s declared closer this year, has been their de facto one for most chances, with Brad Boxberger mixing in as needed. But Fulmer couldn’t keep a two-run deficit at that point on Sunday, retiring his first two batters before letting three straight reach, which led to two runs. That raised his ERA to a ghastly 8.68, and while he’s been extraordinarily unlucky in allowing a BABIP of .462, he’s also allowed four barrels already, half as many as he did all of last season. Boxberger hasn’t been great either, so if the Cubs don’t want to turn to him they could go for a true committee, with Brandon Hughes, Mark Leiter Jr., Adbert Alzolay, Keegan Thompson, and Michael Rucker all pitching well.