Bullpen Report: August 10, 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. 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.
6. 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

•None

 

Injury News

•Roberto Osuna, HOU | RosterResource

Osuna was transferred to the 45-Day IL on Sunday, meaning he is out until mid-September even if he does try to return from an elbow injury. In all likelihood, he’ll have Tommy John surgery in the near future.

 

Outlier Saves

•Oliver Perez, CLE | RosterResource

On to protect a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the tenth, Brad Hand recorded one out, allowed an RBI single, and walked a batter before a 46-minute rain delay ended his night. When the teams returned to action, Perez was brought in to face switch-hitters Leury Garcia and Yoan Moncada. The 38-year-old lefty retired both hitters, picking up his fifth career save in what was his 480th career relief appearance.

•Scott Barlow, KCR | RosterResource

It has been pretty well established that Trevor Rosenthal is the Royals’ closer after impressive finishes in back-to-back games for his second and third saves of the season. After Sunday’s game, we now know who manager Mike Matheny currently prefers when Rosenthal is unavailable. That would be Barlow, one of the team’s few bright spots in 2019. Th 27-year-old pitched a perfect ninth (2 K) against the Twins to finish off a 4-2 victory and complete a three-game sweep.

•Burch Smith, OAK | RosterResource

With Liam Hendriks unavailable after working three consecutive days, Jesus Luzardo and the Oakland offense made the decision-making process easy on manager Bob Melvin, who got to hand off a 6-2 lead to the bullpen. Smith entered in the seventh and gave the rest of his bullpen-mates the rest of the day off by shutting out the Astros over the final three innings (4 K) for his first career save.

 

Committee Clarity

•Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo, NYM | RosterResource

After three consecutive scoreless outings, all while his team was trailing, Diaz pitched in the eighth inning on Sunday with the Mets leading 4-2. He struck out the first two hitters before allowing a single and double to put the tying runs in scoring position. Facing rookie Monte Harrison, he threw three consecutive fastballs by him to end the threat.

Lugo finished things off with a scoreless ninth, earning him his third save of the season.

The question now is whether manager Luis Rojas sticks with that same combination in the same order or if he puts Diaz back into the closer’s role soon.

•Taylor Williams, SEA | RosterResource

After picking up two of the team’s first three saves on the season, manager Scott Servais went a different direction when he gave Carl Edwards Jr. a chance to get in on the act. Not only did Edwards pick up the save on Wednesday, but he followed Williams’ shaky performance in the eighth inning that turned a four-run lead into a 7-6 nail-biter.

But after Williams bounced back with a scoreless inning on Saturday, Servais went with the 29-year-old on Sunday with the Rockies mounting a comeback in the eighth inning. With two outs and a 5-2 lead, Williams allowed an RBI single to David Dahl before striking out Daniel Murphy to finish the inning. He followed with a 1-2-3 ninth, including a pair of strikeouts, for his third save.

 

Losing A Grip

•None

 

Reliever On The Rise

•Ryan Borucki, TOR | RosterResource

In 17 starts as a rookie in 2018, a 24-year-old Borucki posted a 3.87 ERA, 3.0 BB/9, and 6.2 K/9. With a slider and changeup that each had the potential to be above-average, to go along with a low-nineties fastball, the left-hander appeared well on his way to becoming a mainstay in the back of the Blue Jays’ rotation. But he never got that chance as his sophomore season was mostly wiped out due to an elbow injury.

Instead of counting on Borucki in 2020, the Blue Jays added multiple veteran starters to bridge the gap to the team’s best young pitching prospects. Borucki, at best, appeared to be rotation depth. But he was impressive enough in Summer Camp that the Jays included him in their Opening Day bullpen.

While his days as a starter aren’t likely over, he has quickly proven to be an asset out of the ‘pen (4 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 9 K) where he’s throwing in the mid-nineties and relying heavily on filthy sliders …

Ryan Borucki, Filthy Sliders. 😷 pic.twitter.com/8BQoeug6cJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 9, 2020