Bullpen Report: July 8, 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

•Félix Bautista, BAL: 30 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Bautista might not pitch again until the All-Star Game after working two innings on Friday. Fellow All-Star Yennier Cano would probably close Saturday.

•Kendall Graveman, CHW: Three of the last four days; 20 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Reynaldo López, Keynan Middleton, and Gregory Santos are the likeliest closers on Saturday. Struggling lefty Aaron Bummer could get a chance in a left-on-left matchup.

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•None

Committee Clarity

•Daniel Bard, COL | RosterResource

Justin Lawrence pitched for the first time in nine days on Friday, but it was in the eighth inning and not closing, as he had been lately for the struggling Pierce Johnson. Ultimately he was setting up for Bard, who finally recorded his first save of the season after starting the season on the IL with anxiety and working his way through some control issues. Bard’s 1.76 ERA is quite deceiving, as it belies a 26:24 K:BB (plus three hit batters, so he has more free passes than strikeouts), but evidently he’s got his old job back, at least in part. Lawrence could still be in the mix for now, and maybe Johnson as well despite his struggles.

Losing A Grip

•A.J. Puk, MIA | RosterResource

Puk blew a two-run lead on Friday, making for back-to-back blown saves and five runs allowed in those two innings of work. It’s just two outings so it’s not particularly likely he’s losing his job, but it nonetheless raised his ERA to 4.18, and the bullpen has Tanner Scott pitching extraordinarily well all season. It seems plausible that Puk doesn’t get back out there in the two remaining games of the first half and uses the break to regroup.