Bullpen Report: August 21, 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

•Adbert Alzolay, CHC: 22 pitches on Sunday; 18 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Julian Merryweather will probably be unavailable on Monday after 25 pitches on Saturday and another ten Sunday, which leaves Mark Leiter Jr. and Michael Fulmer as the best bets to close.

•Camilo Doval, SFG: 29 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Both of the Rogers Brothers should be available on Monday.

Injury News

•None

 

Outlier Saves

•Alex Lange, DET | RosterResource

Jason Foley has taken Lange’s job away from him, with Lange being especially wild of late; he’d walked or hit a staggering 12 of 27 batters faced in August entering play on Sunday. But he looked back in good form in substituting for Foley, who’d worked three-of-four days, throwing eight of 12 pitches for strikes in a 1-2-3 inning for his 18th save of the season. It’s a nice step forward for Lange, but there’s no reason to believe Foley’s not the closer still.

•Gabe Speier, SEA | RosterResource

The Mariners had to scramble and pull off a last-minute bullpen game when Emerson Hancock left after just two innings with a shoulder strain that’ll surely send him to the IL, and in managing seven innings of relievers, Scott Servais decided to use closer Andrés Muñoz in the eighth against the righty-heavier top of the order. He then brought Speier in to face Yordan Alvarez up just one run, and Speier did his job, striking him out and picking up another for his first career save. He’s been a vital piece in Scott Servais’s bullpen, with a 3.16 ERA, holding lefties to a .213 average and righties to a still-excellent .237.

•Bowden Francis, TOR | RosterResource

The Blue Jays used just three pitchers on Tuesday, even though Hyun Jin Ryu 류현진 only went five innings. Génesis Cabrera followed with a scoreless inning before Francis pitched the final three, his only blemish being a Tyler Stephenson solo homer. Francis has been up and down a few times this year but has been excellent when in the majors, averaging over 2 innings per outing and striking out 22 in 26.2 innings, with just 17 hits and five walks allowed.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•Will Smith, TEX | RosterResource

Smith was brought in with the Rangers trailing in the eighth just to get some work in, and in giving up three runs on four hits while recording just two outs, ballooned his ERA to 3.83. In his last 7.2 innings, he’s now given up nine runs (eight earned) on six hits, including two homers. The AL West race is far too tight (the Rangers are separated from the third place Mariners by just three games) to have a closer who’s not quite right, and Aroldis Chapman is pitching far too well to ignore. It might be about time for a change.