Bullpen Report: June 12th, 2012
•After blowing his first save of the year on Sunday, Rafael Soriano would have been available to pitch on Monday if it weren’t for a blister that developed on his pitching hand. Putting any blister issues to rest tonight, Soriano finished the game retiring the Braves in order while striking out two batters for his 10th save of the year. Boone Logan recorded the final two outs yesterday and although Soriano’s performance tonight likely means Logan will have little chance of seeing the ninth inning, it’s worth noting that he has quietly put together an excellent season with a 2.53 xFIP and an outstanding strikeout rate (13.29 K/9). Logan is still better used as a situational reliever as he has a minuscule .268 wOBA against left-handed hitters and a less than spectacular .347 wOBA against right-handed hitters, but should still be a solid contributor to holds and strikeouts for those in need of any relief help.
David Robertson meanwhile pitched another scoreless inning today in triple-A on his rehab stint and could join the Yankees over the weekend. The Yankees have previously said that Soriano will remain the closer even when Robertson returns and I see no reason why that won’t still be the plan based off of Soriano’s work tonight.
•Drew Storen threw off of a mound for the second time this year on his rehab from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. The Nationals have said that Storen should return to the team after the All-Star break and outings like this with no set backs will help Storen achieve that goal. Former set-up man Tyler Clippard has done well closing games in Storen’s absence (getting his ninth save of the year tonight), and should continue closing games in Washington even with Brad Lidge’s return from injury, but Clippard will likely move back to his familiar set-up role with Storen closing games for the Nationals upon his return.
•After getting the loss in two of his last three outings, Al Aceves pitched a scoreless ninth tonight for his 15th save of the year. His roller coaster season continues but without an obvious replacement Aceves still has a pretty formidable grasp on the job as Andrew Miller and Mark Melancon aren’t quite knocking on the door. Further, Aceves hasn’t been all that bad this season, posting a 3.44 xFIP and a great 9.95 K/9 that is supported by his 12.7% SwStr%, well above the league average of 8.8%. Aceves has also raised his velocity, averaging 94.2 mph on his fastball this season, up from the 92.6 mph he posted last year. Relying on Aceves to be one of the premier closers in baseball isn’t a bright idea, but he throws hard, gets strikeouts and closes on a team that will often give him a lead which is pretty much all you can ask for from your closer — if you enjoy the occasional roller coaster ride of course.
•Royals reliever Greg Holland picked up the win after pitching a scoreless eighth inning in a tie game this evening. Holland has now pitched 10.1 consecutive scoreless innings since May 23rd, and has cemented himself as the set-up man on the Royals. Holland has struggled with his control at times this season (5.85 BB/9) but still misses bats (12.15 K/9) and has a solid 3.08 xFIP on the year, which is impressive considering how bad Holland was pitching at the start of the season before he landed on the DL.
Jonathan Broxton has looked great on the surface this year converting 14/16 saves with a 1.52 ERA but his peripheral numbers leave a lot to be desired. Broxton is still throwing mid-90s heat but he hardly misses bats anymore with a paltry 5.7% SwStr%, significantly lower than his 12.7% career mark, leading to an un-Broxton like 6.08 K/9. Broxton should have a long leash, and his improved GB% (53.7% up from 41.9% last year) has certainly helped him this year, but if his ERA starts mimicking his xFIP (3.99) or if his name surfaces in trade rumors, Greg Holland will be someone you will want on your team.
For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here is a matchup you may be able to exploit.
A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Vinnie Pestano (CLE) at CIN
Starters Mat Latos and Derek Lowe have been about as effective as one another this year and tomorrow’s game could be close in the later innings between the two teams from Ohio. The Indians used three relievers tonight against the Reds and with Pestano having a few days rest he should get in the game provided it’s close. Chris Perez has had a fine season thus far silencing early calls for Pestano to take over closing games, but Pestano has kept up his end of the bargain pitching to a shiny ERA supported by his strikeout ability (12.04 K/9).
Closer Grid:
[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]
When he's not focusing on every team's bullpen situation, Ben can be found blogging at Ben's Baseball Bias and on Twitter @BensBias