Bullpen Report: July 16, 2022

The 2022 version of 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

•Tanner Houck, BOS: 28 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

John Schreiber (18 pitches on Friday after 16 on Thursday) may not be available Saturday, and Garrett Whitlock went two innings in his return from the IL. That would basically leave “anyone else in the bullpen” including Hirokazu Sawamura, Jake Diekman, and Austin Davis.

•Clay Holmes, NYY: Three of the last four days; 17 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Michael King and Wandy Peralta are in the same boat as Holmes, though King has been more economical (Peralta threw 29 pitches on Friday). If none of their top three arms are available, a save chance could fall to Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Loaísiga, or Lucas Luetge. Miguel Castro is fighting a “barking” shoulder and may not be available.

•Brooks Raley 레일리, TBR: Three of the last four days; 12 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Colin Poche may not be available either after 21 pitches on Friday, which would leave Jason Adam as the likeliest closer. It’s altogether possible that the Rays have all three of their closer committee members ready to go, however.

•Seranthony Domínguez, PHI: 33 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Co-closer Brad Hand should be available Evan after 19 pitches on Friday, and Corey Knebel definitely should be as he hasn’t pitched since Tuesday.

•Giovanny Gallegos, STL: Three of the last four days; 23 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Ryan Helsley, Gallegos’s co-closer, should be good to go Saturday after only 12 pitches on Friday.

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•Ryan Brasier, BOS | RosterResource

Tanner Houck blew the save in the ninth inning thanks to his own throwing error and erratic control, but he did stay out there for an entire extra inning. But once the Red Sox took the lead in the 11th, it was Brasier’s turn. Brasier was able to pitch around the zombie runner on second base and didn’t even allow him to advance, picking up two strikeouts in the process for his first save of the year. He won’t be in line for many more, with a 4.46 ERA and not-great home run rate (six in 33.1 innings).

•Trevor Stephan, CLE | RosterResource

All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase hasn’t had a particularly heavy workload, but he did work on Wednesday and Thursday, albeit only throwing 23 pitches in total. Nonetheless, Terry Francona decided it would be best to give him the day off, handing Stephan in the ball in a one-run game. The assignment was no problem for the second-year righty, who punched out two hitters in a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.

Stephan has settled in quite nicely as Clase’s top setup man, with 39 strikeouts in 35.1 innings and a 2.80 ERA. He’s given up just two homers this year after allowing 15 in 63.1 innings in his rookie season.

•A.J. Minter, ATL | RosterResource

The Braves intended to just give Will Smith an inning of work in a six-run game and go back to the team hotel with an easy win, but Smith’s outing was anything but. He walked two batters and gave up three hits, allowing three runs before ceding the ball to Minter with the bases loaded in a five-run game, which qualifies as a save opportunity. Minter issued one final walk but was able to strike out Keibert Ruiz to end a much more eventful ninth than the Braves bargained for.

Kenley Jansen wasn’t available after nine pitches on Wednesday and 24 on Thursday, having just come off the IL for Wednesday’s game after a recurrence of his irregular heartbeat that has cropped up every few years. Minter’s save was his fifth of the year, as he was a key fill-in for Jansen.

 

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•Josh Hader, MIL | RosterResource

It would have seemed unfathomable as recently as the beginning of this month to even fathom putting Hader in this section, but when you have one of the most un-clutch pitching performances in MLB history, you’re going to get a write-up here.

According to @fangraphs, Josh Hader had a WPA of -0.963 tonight. And by @Stathead, among single-inning pitchers, that's the 19th-worst performance since 1901.

— Patrick Dubuque (@euqubud) July 16, 2022

Hader’s had by far the roughest month of his career, allowing 12 runs in 5.1 innings including five(!) home runs to spike his ERA from 1.05 all the way to 4.50. For what it’s worth, manager Craig Counsell wouldn’t tip his hand on whether a role change is in the offing, but it doesn’t seem impossible.

Craig Counsell on Josh Hader: "It wasn't a good night. We've got to just get to work and see what's going on and try to help him fix it."

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) July 16, 2022

If Hader needs a reset to work on his mechanics or whatever is ailing him in lower-leverage situations, Devin Williams would, in all likelihood, become the closer. He’s already earned six saves this year when Hader has been unavailable, on the family medical emergency list or paternity list, and has punched out a tremendous 41% of batters faced. Brad Boxberger has also been reliable, with a 2.57 ERA in 35 innings.