Bullpen Report: July 5, 2018

Dull days in the unrelenting chase for saves rarely occur, Wednesday was no exception. Brandon Morrow owners breathed a collective sigh of relief seeing him record his 19th save on Wednesday giving up a hit with a strikeout. Morrow did not pitch on Tuesday after working 1.1 innings on Sunday to the dismay of the fantasy community. Returning from a mild back injury, it’s clear the Cubs will be handling Morrow with care. He only needed 19 pitches on Sunday retiring four of the five hitters he faced. But Pedro Strop notched the save on Tuesday, his second this year, in lieu of Morrow. As for Morrow, he’s converted 12 straight saves, 19 of 20 this year with a 1.40 ERA which underscores why fantasy owners want more. But, in deference to Morrow’s injury riddled past, the Cubs keeping him fresh and not committing to giving him a heavy workload could work out best in the long run no matter how frustrating. Plan accordingly.

With Seranthony Dominguez settling in as a more traditional one inning closer, or at least his owners hope, he received a much deserved day off on Wednesday. Dominguez locked down his fourth straight save on Tuesday but needed 28 pitches over 1.1 innings to do so. After Victor Arano pitched a clean top of the eighth, he stayed in for the ninth walking one and striking out three en route to his first major league save. Arano’s been scoreless his last five outings and could be in the periphery of saves in this type of scenario going forward as the Phillies try to make a push for the playoffs.

It’s no secret the Mets will be holding a fire sale soon, just who will be on the move. Building the trade stock of pending free agent Jeurys Familia makes complete sense. He notched his 16th save in a clean outing against Toronto. This marks back-to-back saves for Familia with clean innings in each after his four run implosion on June 27th. Where Familia ends up will determine his fantasy worth going forward, his owners should enjoy the production while it lasts with a backup plan for the future if he ends up pitching a setup role for a contender after the trade deadline.

Another reliever garnering trade interest, Raisel Iglesias, received a much needed day off on Wednesday. He’s rumored to be a top target for both Boston and Houston. In the meantime, Iglesias owners could stash Jared Hughes who saved his sixth game of the season giving up a hit and a walk in 1.2 innings with two strikeouts yesterday. Hughes was the only reliever not to work in the Reds 12 inning marathon on Tuesday and filled in affably for Iglesias during his stint on the disabled list. Over his last 23 appearances, Hughes has pitched 29 innings with a 0.93 ERA, 21 strikeouts and eight walks.

Cody Allen not only recorded his 18th save this year, but moved into first in franchise history with his 140th career save for Cleveland. Allen’s converted 13 saves in a row, is 17-for-18 in save chances this season and his last 10 games has yielded a 1.86 ERA with a strong 17:3 K:BB in 9.2 innings of work. His bridge of Neil Ramirez and Oliver Perez have pitched well but it seems strange to not hear much in the way of Andrew Miller’s progress from his knee issues. Stay tuned.

From the it could be something or it could be nothing department, Bud Norris finished his inning last night but received a visit from the team during his outing. After the game, Norris said he felt soreness in his right index finger which affected his grip on the sinker and cutter. He told beat writers it’s something he will need to monitor, as will his owners. Norris walked one and whiffed two during his ninth inning in a non-save appearance. He’s 16-for-18 in save chances this season and remains one of the Cardinals most consistent relievers, especially given the volatility of higher paid teammate Greg Holland. Jordan Hicks threw two clean innings with three strikeouts after Holland allowed two runs (one earned) without recording an out in the seventh inning.

Although Kenley Jansen’s not returned value based on where he went in drafts this preseason, he’s turned his season around after a rough start. Jansen pitched 1.2 innings giving up two hits with three strikeouts en route to his 23rd save on Wednesday. Jansen’s saved 21 in a row working more than one inning in four occasions including yesterday. Over his last 31 outings, Jansen’s thrown 34 innings with a 1.06 ERA and 34 strikeouts against six walks since April 21st. As encouraging as those numbers seem, Jansen’s only recorded a 12.7 swinging strike percentage this year with his chase rate down over six percent compared to last year while his contact allowed borders on an increase of nine percent. He’s been very good, but not elite.

Wade Davis held on to preserve the 10th 1-0 game in Coors Field history working around a hit and a walk, striking out one for his 25th save. He’s saved five straight for the Rockies and moved to 25-for-29 this season but has allowed runs in four of his last 10 games. Moving to Colorado had to present some red flags for Davis, especially in light of his workload with the Cubs last year, but his 4.15 ERA and 1.24 WHIP need to improve if the Rockies hope to contend for a playoff spot.

Quick Hits: Craig Kimbrel locked down save number 26 allowing two hits and striking out two. He’s converted 17 straight saves dating back to May 9th. Dellin Betances whiffed two more batters giving up a hit extending his scoreless streak to 16.2 innings with 28 strikeouts in them. Arodys Vizcaino returned to the mound allowing a hit in a scoreless inning versus the Yankees. He will return to closing duties but his shoulder issues opens the door for A.J. Minter to stay relevant with saves ensuring Vizcaino’s not overworked. Save number 10 for Brad Ziegler who has been scoreless in 15 of his last 16 games with a 0.53 ERA in 17 innings. Just a day off for Kyle Barraclough and some trade stock improvement for Ziegler. Zach Britton turned in a clean inning with three ground outs. Blake Treinen continues to surge converting his 19th consecutive save, and 22nd overall. His 0.63 ERA over his last 28.2 innings (26 games) stands out as his breakout season persists. Teammate Lou Trivino garnered his seventh win relief win. Corey Knebel allowed a run on two hits pitching for the third straight day. It’s his first run allowed in seven outings and he’s streaking with a 1.53 ERA his last 12 games (11.1 IP) with 21 strikeouts versus three walks. Blake Parker held on for his 10th save in spite of yielding two hits in Seattle. He’s been scoreless in his last six. Ken Giles converts his 12th save, in as many chances, striking out two in a clean ninth. Hector Rondon remains the closer du jour for the Astros with Giles giving him the day off after an extended outing. Collin McHugh flies below the radar but won his fourth game allowing a hit in three innings with a strikeout. McHugh’s not given up an earned run his last 12.2 innings with 14 strikeouts. His 0.90 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 52 strikeouts this year should see him more owned in fantasy to help control ratios. Keone Kela worked a clean ninth and has a 1.42 ERA his last 19 innings in 20 games. Wily Peralta pitched for the second straight day in a non-save outing allowing two hits. His 1.35 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP screams regression, especially given his 16.7 walk percentage and 90 percent strand rate. Tread lightly. Last, Yoshihisa Hirano lost his 26 game scoreless streak serving up a home run to Yairo Munoz.