Bullpen Report: August 31, 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

•Cole Sulser, BAL: 25 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

If the Orioles stay away from Sulser on Monday, their most likely save candidate would be Miguel Castro.

•Richard Rodriguez, PIT: Back-to-back days; 3 of last 4 days; 11 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Nik Turley and Chris Stratton are the most likely save candidates on Monday. Kyle Crick could also be in the mix if the Pirates are willing to use him on back-to-back days so soon after returning from the Injured List.

 

Trade

•Mychal Givens: Traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Colorado Rockies. | RosterResource

Givens was surprisingly kept out of the closer’s role in Baltimore in favor of Sulser and it’s unlikely that he’ll move to the front of the closer line in Colorado with Daniel Bard locked in at the moment. He will pitch in a high-leverage role, though, and could be next in line should Bard struggle.

 

Injury News

•Hunter Harvey, BAL: Activated from 10-Day IL. | RosterResource

Expected to be in the closer’s mix at the start of the season, Harvey instead missed a month with elbow soreness. Finally back in action, the 25-year-old recorded two outs while allowing one earned run in his 2020 debut on Sunday. Even with Givens traded and Sulser struggling, the Orioles are going to ease Harvey back into action.

#orioles bullpen coach Darren Holmes says Hunter Harvey probably won't be tossed into closer role after coming off IL. Eased into it. Probably not working back-to-back days, at least not right away. Could be 2 or 3 days between outings.

— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) August 29, 2020

While it could take a couple weeks, it would make sense for the Orioles to give their “closer of the future” a few save chances before season’s end.

Outlier Saves

•Luis Cessa, NYY | RosterResource

With the Yankees taking a 5-1 lead in the first frame of extra innings in game two of Sunday’s double-header, Jonathan Holder remained in the game after he had pitched a scoreless seventh. He nearly finished things off, but Cessa was called on with the tying run at the plate and two outs. The 28-year-old struck out Wilson Ramos to end the game and pick up his fourth career save.

•Yohan Ramirez, SEA | RosterResource

Slowly but surely, Ramirez is working his way into manager Scott Servais’ circle of trust. After the Mariners took a 2-1 lead over the Angels in the top of the tenth, the Rule 5 pickup struck out Luis Rengifo and Shohei Ohtani, allowing him to intentionally walk Mike Trout with first base open. Anthony Rendon flied out to end the game on a 95 MPH fastball with a 2-0 count.

The 25-year-old Ramirez has not allowed a run in six of his eight appearances. He still has more walks (14) than innings pitched (13), but he also has an impressive 2.77 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

 

Committee Clarity

•Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource

When a member of a closer committee picks up a save on consecutive days, it’s a good sign that the committee might not be a committee for much longer. I don’t think we’re there quite yet, but Soto is clearly the most talented pitcher in the Tigers’ bullpen. It’s just a matter of not overwhelming the 25-year-old with the pressure of being a team’s “closer”. But he handled back-to-back save chances just fine and manager Ron Gardenhire might not want to roll the dice on anyone else with his team on a five-game winning streak.

•Sam Coonrod, SFG | RosterResource

When the Giants’ closer committee formed back in mid-August, Coonrod was on the Injured List with a strained lat. By the time he was activated on August 23, the status of the committee remained unchanged because there hadn’t been any save chances. Tyler Rogers, a sidearmer who throws a low-eighties fastball, got the first chance on Saturday. He succeeded. On Sunday, he pitched the eighth while the 27-year-old Coonrod, who can throw a 100 MPH fastball, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first career MLB save.

Between Rogers, Coonrod, and lefty Tony Watson, the Giants’ closer committee couldn’t be any more diverse. Coonrod has the potential, however, to separate himself from the group.

 

Losing A Grip

•Cole Sulser, BAL | RosterResource

After Sulser blew his third save of the season in eight chances on Sunday, the Orioles could finally turn to Castro as their closer at least until Harvey is ready to step into the role.

 

Reliever On The Rise

•None