Bullpen Report: July 2, 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

•Scott Barlow, KCR: 24 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

José Cuas and Dylan Coleman are the best bets to close if Barlow’s unavailable.

Injury News

•Liam Hendriks, CHW: Will be back from the IL (strained forearm) on Monday. | RosterResource

Take it from the man himself:

Hendriks says he’s back Monday. pic.twitter.com/NRvrEqIF6A

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) July 1, 2022

Hendriks will end up having missed just under a month, with his most recent MLB appearance occurring on on June 10th. He’s largely been his usually dominant self, with 37 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. He has blown three saves in 19 chances, though. His activation will push Kendall Graveman back into an eighth-inning role.

•Aroldis Chapman, NYY: Activated from the IL (Achilles’ heel tendinitis) on Friday. | RosterResource

Chapman had been out for over five weeks, having been placed on the IL on May 23rd. In that time, Clay Holmes has been one of the best relievers in baseball, allowing just two runs (one unearned) in the entire time that Chapman was on the shelf. Chapman on the other hand had a very uneven start to his season, allowing six runs in 14 innings with a low (for him) strikeout rate of just 23% and a walk rate north of 15%. Worse yet, all six of those runs came in his final four appearances before hitting the IL.

Some of those struggles may be easily explained by the tendinitis, but Chapman has been battling mechanical issues on and off for years, having used some of his time on the IL to try to clean things up there. At best, though, Chapman will be jockeying for saves with Holmes, and a setup role might be likelier for now. We didn’t have Friday’s game to help us glean some information, as the Yankees were postponed.

•Lucas Sims, CIN: Will miss the rest of the season (back surgery). | RosterResource

2022 will go down as a lost season for Sims, who will finish his season with just 6.2 rough innings (seven runs, six walks). He’s been a strikeout machine since 2019, which made him a popular breakout pick and the lead horse for saves in the Reds bullpen, but he could just never get healthy this season. In his absence, Hunter Strickland has led the team in saves with four, though five others (including Sims in one of his few appearances) have recorded at least one save as well.

It appears as if Sims will be healthy for the start of 2023, and is at the front of the line along with Tejay Antone (who underwent Tommy John surgery late in the season last year and won’t be back this year) for saves.

Outlier Saves

•None

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•None