Bullpen Report: August 1, 2020

The 2020 version of Bullpen Report includes six different sections, as well as the closer chart, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

1. 1. 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.

1. Losing A Grip: Struggling closers who could be on the hot seat.
2. Reliever On The Rise: Non-closer who is quickly moving up the depth chart based on potential and recent performance.

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

•Wade Davis, COL: 29 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Davis pitched back-to-back games only a handful of times in 2019, so doing so after a 29-pitch night and a blown save is unlikely. Jairo Diaz (21 pitches on Friday) and Carlos Estevez are the leading candidates for a save chance on Saturday against the Padres.

•Alex Colome, CHW: 3 of last 4 days; 16 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Colome is likely available after an easy outing, which followed a day off. Aaron Bummer and Steve Cishek are well-rested if he’s not available.

•Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal, KCR: Back-to-back days; 3 of last 4 days; both had 13 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Ian Kennedy could finally get his first save chance of 2020 on Saturday after taking a back seat to Holland and Rosenthal for the first week of the season.

•Kirby Yates, SDP: 28 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Yates can’t be ruled out after his 28-pitch night, considering he hadn’t pitched over the five previous days. A day off, however, could be necessary after a rough outing on Friday. If the Padres don’t want to pitch Drew Pomeranz on three consecutive days (12 pitches on Friday; 7 pitches on Thursday), Emilio Pagan and Javy Guerra are the likely candidates for a save chance.

 

Injury News

•Aroldis Chapman, NYY: Cleared to return to team after two negative COVID-19 tests; no word on when he’ll be ready for game action.
•Tommy Kahnle, NYY: Placed on 45-day IL with a UCL injury. |  RosterResource

Shortly after news broke that Chapman is closing in on a return, the Yankees got some bad news regarding one of their best setup men. Kahnle, who had a 3.67 ERA, 12.9 K/9, and 27 holds in 2019, is expected to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Outlier Saves

•Chris Martin, ATL | RosterResource

Instead of going with Shane Greene, who threw just one pitch on Thursday, manager Brian Snitker opted for Martin to close out a wild 11-10 victory over the Mets. If you’re surprised by this decision, you’re not alone. Martin did not realize he was pitching the ninth inning.

"I closed the game?"@TwoSportman narrating Chris Martin finding out he just saved this game is great. pic.twitter.com/VVO3PTBWhR

— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) August 1, 2020

•Andre Scrubb, HOU | RosterResource

The Astros bullpen has been short-handed with both Chris Devenski and Ryan Pressly unavailable due to elbow soreness. But it’s not clear, at least at this moment, why closer Roberto Osuna was not brought in to pitch with his team up by three in the ninth inning of Friday’s game. He was being brought along slowly after reporting late to camp, but he has pitched 4.1 scoreless innings over three appearances and had a day off on Thursday.

But it was the 25-year-old Scrubb who got the save chance in only his second major league appearance. He allowed a walk and a single, but pitched a scoreless inning to close out a 9-6 win over the Angels. Even if Pressly returns soon and the 43-year-old Fernando Rodney, who recently inked a minor league deal, still has something left in the tank, the Astros are going to need some of their young pitchers to step into a high-leverage role. Scrubb answered that call on Friday.

•Drew Pomeranz, SDP | RosterResource

After Yates’ last two appearances (1.1 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, K), Pomeranz could soon find himself, at the least, in a co-closer role. On Friday, though, he was just bailing out Yates, who did not seem confident that he would get out of Coors Field with a save.

 

Committee Clarity

•Cole Sulser, BAL | RosterResource

If the manager calls for you in a save situation a day after blowing a ninth inning lead to a division rival, it means he has confidence in you. It probably means that you are the closer and not part of a committee. A day after Aaron Judge beat him with a go-ahead home run, Sulser pitched a perfect ninth (2 K) to close out a 6-3 win over the Rays and pick up his second save in three chances. Further clarifying the situation, Mychal Givens pitched the eighth and Richard Bleier was traded to the Marlins after the game.

•Dellin Betances and Seth Lugo, NYM | RosterResource

Betances and Lugo each had a chance to establish themselves in the battle for a wide-open closer’s job, but it was further muddied after Friday’s game. On to protect a 10-6 lead in the eighth, Betances retired only one of five batters faced (2 H, 2 BB). Lugo entered with the Mets still up by two, but he allowed a bases-clearing, go-ahead double to Travis d’Arnaud. At this point, Betances has probably fallen out of the committee — his fastball velocity has been about 3 MPH less than where it was prior to the injuries that derailed his 2019 season — while Lugo will probably have to share the job with Justin Wilson and Jeurys Familia.

•Taylor Williams, SEA | RosterResource

Thus far, the Mariners’ committee has consisted of one save chance for Dan Altavilla and two for Williams, who picked up his second save with a scoreless inning against the Athletics on Friday.

 

Losing A Grip

•Craig Kimbrel, CHC | RosterResource

Back in action for the first time since his disastrous 2020 debut, Kimbrel entered the game with a 6-1 lead over the Pirates in the ninth inning. He promptly allowed back-to-back homers to Josh Bell and Colin Moran before quickly setting down the next three in order (0 K). The 32-year-old has now allowed 11 homers in 22 innings since joining the Cubs.

It’s hard to see manager David Ross trusting him in a close game right now, although in fairness to Kimbrel, he hadn’t pitched in four days. After Kimbrel’s implosion in Monday’s game, Ross thought he might’ve been rusty because he hadn’t pitched in six days. So, maybe get him back in a game within a day or two and see if he’s any better? Or else, it’s getting pretty close to Jeremy Jeffress or Rowan Wick time.

•Wade Davis, COL | RosterResource

Davis’ tenure with the Rockies has been filled with ups and downs, so we can’t assume his job is safe because it was just one bad outing (0.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, BS) in the most hitter-friendly stadium in the game. Jairo Diaz was very good in the closer’s role to end the 2019 season and Carlos Estevez is also capable, not to mention having the perfect name for the job. And, of course, there’s Daniel Bard, who is still throwing in the upper nineties. If Holland and Rosenthal can get saves in 2020, so can Bard.

•Hansel Robles, LAA | RosterResource

DNP

•Kirby Yates, SDP | RosterResource

Giving your closer five days off and then throwing him into a save situation at Coors Field doesn’t seem like the best strategy. In any case, Yates was not good and manager Jayce Tingler might not feel comfortable going back to the 33-year-old until they return home on Monday. While many of the team’s other top relievers have also struggled, Pomeranz has not. Even if Yates gets every chance to get back on track in his familiar ninth inning role, Pomeranz could be used in save opportunities on occasion depending on the matchup.

 

Reliever On The Rise

•Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource

The Tigers are off to a surprising 5-3 start, in part because of a very effective late-inning relief crew with closer Joe Jimenez and setup man Buck Farmer both getting the job done. But the hype is starting to build around Soto, a 25-year-old left-hander who can touch 100 MPH and has eight strikeouts while not allowing a run or a hit in 4.2 innings. More importantly, he hasn’t walked a batter.

Debuting in the majors as a starting pitcher last May, he was clearly not ready. It didn’t matter that he threw in the upper nineties. Big league hitters were teeing off. Ten games into the season, including seven starts, Soto had an 8.69 ERA. The Tigers stuck with him in a relief role, though, and it paid off as he posted a 2.83 ERA over his final 23 appearances. But in 28.2 innings over that span, he walked 20 while striking out only 23.

Thus, the zero walks is an indication that he’s much more in control in his second season. If he can paint the corner with a 99 MPH fastball, there’s not much a hitter can do about it.

Normally 3.2 innings is too early to talk about a pitcher, but in a 60-game season I'm really interested in #Tigers RP Gregory Soto.

– 7:0 K:BB ratio
– 98 mph sinker & 89 mph slider
– Joe Jimenez/Buck Farmer are rather uninspiring

Here's the heater: pic.twitter.com/UTR2MzWnJ5

— Andy Patton (@andypattonSEA) July 29, 2020