Bullpen Report: April 26, 2021
- 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.
- Injury News
- Outlier Saves: Explanation for a non-closer earning a save during the previous day.
- Committee Clarity: Notes on a closer committee that clarify a pitcher’s standing in the group.
- 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
•Alex Reyes, STL: 25 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource
If Reyes is unavailable on Monday, Giovanny Gallegos is the top option to fill in.
Injury News
None
Outlier Saves
•Tyler Rogers, SFG | RosterResource
Manager Gabe Kapler said he was trying to avoid using Jake McGee on Sunday after he combined for 35 pitches between Thursday and Friday, so it was the submarining Rogers brought in with a two-run lead in the ninth. Rogers gave up three hits and a run but was able to induce a Jazz Chisholm grounder with two runners on to earn his second save of the season.
Committee Clarity
•Bryan Garcia, DET | RosterResource
Garcia was brought on in the fifth inning, ending up throwing 1.1 innings while the Tigers were trailing. He hadn’t pitched since Wednesday so it’s possible that the Tigers were just looking to ensure that he got some work in, but this also seems to solidify Gregory Soto’s position as the top ninth-inning option for Detroit.
•Scott Barlow, KCR | RosterResource
Barlow didn’t actually pitch on Sunday, but it’s worth noting that he was warming up in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run lead. Wade Davis ended up entering when the Royals added two more runs. Barlow’s appears to be one of the Royals’ top candidates for save chances, along with Josh Staumont (who was probably unavailable to work a third straight game on Sunday) and Greg Holland.
•Sean Doolittle, CIN | RosterResource
Doolittle—currently shown on the Reds’ RosterResource page as co-closers with Lucas Sims—pitched the bottom of the eighth with the Reds down by two runs, giving up a run on two hits. The Reds have lost seven in a row now, so we don’t have much to go off of in a bullpen with all of its back-end arms struggling. Amir Garrett and Tejay Antone are arms to watch along with Sims.
Losing A Grip
None
Jon Becker manages RosterResource's team payroll pages and assists with all other aspects of RosterResource, too. Follow him at your own peril on Twitter at @jonbecker_ and on BlueSky at @jon-becker.com.
Crochet worked 3 innings today. He seems to be ticketed for more of a high leverage long-relief/stopper role than that of the traditional 1-inning backend guy, probably in line with CHW’s plan to stretch him out to a starter eventually. Heuer is probably the second guy up now, or maybe the first since Bummer’s really battled his control of late.
I was going to say likewise. Also, interesting for hold leagues: ESPN and MLB.com have Crochet with 3 holds, including for last night. Fangraphs, CBS and yahoo have 1. Baseball reference has him with 2.
BR includes his April 18th appearance against Boston. He came in with a 3 run lead, two outs no one on against Boston, gave up a single but then K’d Hernandez and was done. Technically that would not have been a save situation, which for the “3 run lead” save requires an inning. And he didn’t face the tying runner on deck upon entering.
MLB and ESPN give him that one and last night, too. 3 innings, and if he’d finished the game, that’s a save. But MLB’s own glossary says you must enter with a save opportunity, and that doesn’t count by their definition of save opportunity. Still they gave it to him. I think because the definition is kind of wrong.