Bullpen Report: April 26, 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

•Scott Barlow, KCR: 25 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Aroldis Chapman has worked back-to-back days, so Taylor Clarke, Amir Garrett, and José Cuas are likeliest to close Wednesday.

•Alexis Díaz, CIN: 21 pitches on Tuesday; 12 pitches on Monday. | RosterResource

Derek Law, Alex Young, Ian Gibaut, and Lucas Sims are all options to close assuming Díaz is unavailable Wednesday.

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•Mason Thompson, WSN | RosterResource

The Nationals led 5-0 when Thompson entered in the seventh inning, and they led 5-0 when Thompson shut the door in the ninth. Those three shutout innings included four strikeouts and came on just 28 pitches, a brilliant outing for Thompson’s second career save, lowering his season ERA to 0.96. He’s been used in a multi-inning role this season, and now has 18.2 innings in just ten appearances. Because of that role, he won’t be picking up many more saves; the typical job is Kyle Finnegan’s.

Committee Clarity

•Jason Foley, DET | RosterResource

Closer Alex Lange pitched both Sunday and Monday on 33 pitches combined, so he wasn’t available for Tuesday’s game. That left the hard-throwing Foley as the best closing option, and he actually got the save in four-out fashion, earning the last out of the eighth with a runner on second before shutting the door of the one-run game in the ninth.

While Lange wasn’t available anyway, this looks to be a co-closing situation, with Lange often used in the seventh or eighth in more of a fireman role, which leaves Foley as the best option on those games.

•Shelby Miller, LAD | RosterResource

Evan Phillips just returned from paternity leave on Tuesday, and he was eased back into action by pitching in the sixth inning with the Dodgers down two runs. Once the Dodgers took the lead in the ninth, that left Miller to close the door, which he did in 1-2-3 fashion, including a strikeout.

With Phillips pitching in the game but not in the ninth, it looks like the Dodgers are returning to something of a committee, with Phillips still the preferred but not the sole option. Miller, Caleb Ferguson, and Brusdar Graterol (currently on paternity leave) have all pitched very well this year.

Losing A Grip

•None