Bullpen Report: July 9, 2018

Sean Doolittle was named to his first National League All-Star team on Sunday (he was also an American League All-Star with Oakland in 2014), and he’s clearly been worthy of the distinction in both the real and fantasy worlds. He has compiled a 1.45 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 22 saves and 49 strikeouts to date and ranks as the top reliever in terms of Roto value in the NL (per ESPN’s Player Rater).

Not all of the news for Doolittle was positive on Sunday. Earlier in the day, reports surfaced of Doolittle having a strained toe. By multiple accounts, the injury is minor, and he may even have been able to pitch in the series finale against the Marlins. It was a moot point, as the Marlins won in a 10-2 laugher.

However, if Doolittle does need a replacement in the short term, it seems safe to assume it would be Kelvin Herrera. One Nationals pitcher who doesn’t seem like a candidate for saves anytime soon is Ryan Madson. He was called on to pitch the top of the ninth inning against the Marlins on Sunday with a four-run deficit, but he couldn’t complete the frame. Madson gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in 0.2 innings and had to be rescued by Mark Reynolds. Yes, that Mark Reynolds, who came in and retired Bryan Holaday on three pitches.

It was the fourth time over his last nine outings that Madson had allowed multiple runs. Over that period, he has given up 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits (including three home runs) and five walks in 7.2 innings.

Aroldis Chapman’s knee tendinitis sounds more serious than Doolittle’s toe injury, as Aaron Boone told the New York Post that “it is something that he will likely deal with most of the year.” It does not appear as if there is any immediate plan to put Chapman on the DL. Boone intentionally abstained from using his closer — as well as primary setup reliever Dellin Betances — in a 10th-inning save situation against the Blue Jays on Sunday, as David Robertson held Toronto at bay for his second save of the season. While Chapman may continue to be available for save situations in the near term, the nature of his injury makes Betances a worthy stash candidate.

On the losing side of the ledger for the Jays was Tyler Clippard, who gave up Brett Gardner’s game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning. In the absence of Roberto Osuna, who is serving a 75-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, and Ryan Tepera (elbow), Clippard has been used as the closer, and he has been largely effective in the role.

Should Clippard falter, don’t be surprised to see Seung Hwan Oh get some save chances. After struggling for much of the last two seasons, Oh seems to have rediscovered his 2016 rookie season form. Over his last 15 innings, he has allowed only two runs while striking out 20 batters and walking one. He has been particularly dominant lately, notching at least one strikeout in each of his last nine appearances, including Sunday’s two scoreless innings. Even with just one save over the last 30 days, Oh is the 11th-ranked relief-eligible pitcher on ESPN’s Player Rater during that period.

At the very least, Oh should continue to provide holds, strikeouts and good ratios for fantasy owners, but a hypothetical stint at closer would probably be short-lived. General manager Ross Atkins stated late last month that the team intends to use Osuna as the closer after he is eligible to be reinstated on Aug. 5.

Quick hits: In allowing Adam Duvall’s solo home run in the ninth inning, Brandon Morrow relinquished the Cubs’ 5-4 lead over the Reds for his first blown save since May 5. That interrupted a string of 13 straight converted saves…After having pitched on three of the four previous days, Blake Parker was not used to close out the Angels’ 4-3 win over the Dodgers on Sunday night. Mike Scioscia turned to Justin Anderson, who recorded his fourth save…It was a good day for a pair of All-Stars, Felipe Vazquez and Brad Hand. Vazquez struck out the side in the ninth inning of a 4-1 win over the Phillies. The Pirates’ closer has now made 10 straight scoreless appearances and 14 straight appearances with at least one strikeout. He now has 28 strikeouts over his last 15 innings. Hand was credited with his second win of the season, pitching the final two innings of the Padres’ 16-inning victory over the Diamondbacks. The scoreless innings dropped Hand’s ERA to 2.91…Jose Leclerc got all five of his outs against the Tigers with strikeouts. He now has 26 strikeouts over his last 14.1 innings…The Brewers promoted Corbin Burnes from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Sunday. As a reliever, Burnes had allowed seven runs in 9.2 innings, though five of those runs came in a single appearance at his hitter-friendly home park. He was the 27th-ranked prospect in the minors, according to Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel’s updated prospect rankings…The Giants called up relief prospect Ray Black on Sunday, and in his debut against the Cardinals, he gave up a three-run homer to Matt Carpenter. Black did hit 99.6 mph with his fastball, and at Triple-A Sacramento, he struck out 38 batters in 21.2 innings…The Rays placed Chaz Roe on the 10-day disabled list with a left meniscus tear. The move could put Diego Castillo in an even better position to build on his seven holds in 14 appearances.