Bullpen Report: April 29, 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

•Matt Barnes, BOS: Back-to-back days; 12 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource

Adam Ottavino, Matt Andriese, and Hirokazu Sawamura are likely candidates for a save chance if Barnes isn’t available on Thursday.

•Diego Castillo, TBR: Back-to-back days; 12 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Ryan Thompson and Andrew Kittredge are likely candidates for a save chance if Castillo isn’t available on Thursday.

 

Injury News

•None

 

Outlier Saves

•Ryne Stanek, HOU | RosterResource

With closer Ryan Pressly likely unavailable after pitching back-to-back days, Stanek pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out a 7-5 win over Seattle and pick up his first save on Wednesday. Aside from Pressly, who has an 0.82 ERA and three saves in three chances, the 29-year-old Stanek has easily been the team’s best reliever in 2021. He’s allowed just three earned runs and three hits in 12.1 innings with four walks and 18 strikeouts, helping to offset the loss of several key relievers to injuries early in the season.

 

Committee Clarity

•Josh Staumont, KCR | RosterResource

All signs continue to point towards Staumont separating himself as the Royals’ closer. A four-out save on Wednesday to close out a 9-6 win over the Pirates was the 27-year-old’s Staumont’s third in his last three appearances. If manager Mike Matheny follows the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” logic, he’ll try to stay as consistent as possible by keeping his players in roles that have helped lead them to 11 wins in 15 games and the best record in baseball. And I’d imagine that means Staumont continues to be the closer.

 

 

Losing A Grip

•Rafael Montero, SEA | RosterResource

It had been six days since Montero’s last appearance, so bringing him with two outs in the seventh inning and a 5-3 lead over Houston seemed to make sense. The plan would be to record four outs and hand a lead to “co-closer” Kendall Graveman in the ninth. But Montero couldn’t get out of the eighth inning, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk. To his defense, things could’ve ended much differently if not for a one-out throwing error by Evan White. But considering that Graveman has allowed only one hit over 9.2 scoreless innings in 2021 and Montero now has four blown saves, it would be difficult to think that manager Scott Servais would have much of a choice to make next time there’s a save chance. This could be Graveman’s job to lose now.

 

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.