Bullpen Report: July 17, 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

•Jhoan Duran, MIN: Three straight days; 18 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Griffin Jax would probably close on Monday if needed.

•Clay Holmes, NYY: 8 pitches on Sunday; 11 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Holmes has been economical, but hasn’t pitched on back to-back-to-back days this year. Michael King threw 41 pitches on Friday so he might not yet be available on Monday, which could leave Wandy Peralta to close.

•Will Smith, TEX: 19 pitches on Sunday; 19 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Aroldis Chapman would close on Monday if Smith is unavailable.

•Evan Phillips, LAD: 18 pitches on Sunday; 19 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Brusdar Graterol threw just one pitch Sunday, so he’s probably good to go for a third straight on Monday. Caleb Ferguson is also a possibility to close.

•David Bednar, PIT: 11 pitches on Sunday; 14 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Bednar’s been very efficient the last couple days, but he hasn’t worked three straight days all season. A save chance would likely fall to Colin Holderman, Dauri Moreta, or Angel Perdomo.

Injury News

•Hunter Harvey, WSN: Likely to go on the IL with triceps soreness. | RosterResource

This doesn’t appear to be a serious situation for Harvey just yet, but he’s got an extensive injury history so understandably, the Nationals are going to be careful with this.

Hunter Harvey headed back to D.C. this morning to get an MRI and see team doctors. Dave Martinez says he will likely go on the 15-day IL on Monday. That means, at the earliest, he will not pitch until right after the trade deadline.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 16, 2023

Harvey’s been the team’s most trusted reliever this season and has gotten all of the save reps of late (nine saves this season, and a 3.12 ERA with ten strikeouts per nine innings), but Kyle Finnegan should get his old role back for as long as Harvey’s down. He’s been solid in his own right this year, with a 3.43 ERA and 11 saves.

Outlier Saves

•Danny Coulombe, BAL | RosterResource

The Orioles didn’t think they’d need a save when they entered the ninth with a 5-0 lead, but Eduard Bazardo couldn’t get the job done, giving way to Coloumbe with two runs in and a runner on second. Coulombe wasn’t sharp either, giving up a single and a double with two outs to make it a one-run game, but he induced a Luis Arraez line out to stop the bleeding. It was Coulombe’s first career save, at the age of 33 and with 232 prior big league games under his belt.

•Phil Maton, HOU | RosterResource

The Astros were operating with a thin bullpen Sunday, with Ryan Pressly, Hector Neris, and Bryan Abreu all working back-to-back days. When Houston’s big ninth inning gave them their first lead since the first inning, they sent Maton out there for the bottom of the inning. His first save of the year certainly didn’t come easy, as he allowed a homer to Shohei Ohtani and needed a diving catch by Kyle Tucker to end the game and save a blown save if not a loss.

•Erik Swanson, TOR | RosterResource

Jordan Romano is evidently still unavailable with the tight back that caused him to leave the All-Star Game early, as it was Swanson who entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs to clean up Mitch White’s mess. Unfortunately for White, Swanson gave up a three-run double to Ketel Marte before getting an Emmanuel Rivera fly ball to end things for his second save of the year.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•None