Bullpen Report: June 15, 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.

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

•Craig Kimbrel, LAD: 27 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Daniel Hudson is a likely candidate for a save chance on Wednesday if Kimbrel isn’t available.

•Camilo Doval, SFG: Back-to-back days; 4 of last 5 days; 22 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Jake McGee is a likely candidate for a save chance on Wednesday if Doval isn’t available.

•Ryan Helsley, STL: Back-to-back days; 20 pitches on Tuesday; Giovanny Gallegos, STL: Back-to-back days; 16 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Génesis Cabrera has also pitched back-to-back days. If neither Helsley, Gallegos, nor Cabrera is available on Wednesday, Nick Wittgren is a likely candidate for a save chance. In all likelihood, though, Gallegos and/or Cabrera will be available.

 

Injury Report

•Liam Hendriks, CHW: Placed on 15-Day IL (strained forearm). | RosterResource

The move is retroactive to June 11, although the preliminary estimate is for Hendriks to miss three weeks.

Liam Hendriks has a flexor strain. “It’s a matter of how he responds to treatment over the next few days before we come up with an exact timetable,” White Sox GM Rick Hahn said. “But the preliminary estimate is three weeks.”

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) June 14, 2022

Injuries involving the elbow and forearm can be much worse, of course, so the White Sox will hold their breath until it’s confirmed to be a minor injury for their 33-year-old closer.

Hendriks last pitched on Friday, resulting in his tenth consecutive scoreless appearance. While there are more than 40 pitchers who have more appearances than Hendriks in 2022, he had already pitched back-to-back days on five different occasions by mid-May.

In the meantime, the White Sox will rely on Kendall Graveman to close out games with Joe Kelly also in the mix. Kelly, who was activated from the Injured List on Tuesday, pitched a scoreless 8th inning in his first game back, preserving a 5-1 lead over the Tigers. Reynaldo López closed out the win in a non-save situation.

 

Outlier Saves

•Jackson Stephens, ATL | RosterResource

The Braves’ 13th consecutive win was capped off with three scoreless innings from Stephens to close out a 10-4 victory over the Nationals. This was Stephens’ second three-inning save. The first came in his Braves’ debut back on April 12th, also against the Nationals.

While the 28-year-old has struggled a bit in his last few outings, likely knocking him out of contention for many high-leverage opportunities, he’s been a valuable member of the Braves’ bullpen with a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 innings.

 

Committee Clarity

•Joel Kuhnel, CIN | RosterResource

After Alexis Díaz and Luis Cessa failed to hold leads in the 10th and 11th innings, respectively, it was Kuhnel who finally nailed down the save in the Reds’ 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. It took the 27-year-old rookie only five pitches to end the ballgame on three groundouts.

While this was his first major league save, Kuhnel was only one out away from a five-out save against the Cardinals in his last outing on Saturday. That game ended with a two-run, walk-off home run by Tommy Edman, but manager David Bell appears to trust him. He’ll likely continue to get high-leverage chances in a bullpen that doesn’t have a clear favorite for save opportunities at this time.

 

Losing A Grip

•Corey Knebel, PHI | RosterResource

Knebel picked up three saves and a win in his four appearances during the Phillies’ recent nine-game winning streak, although he did give up a go-ahead run in one game and walked the bases loaded in another. He also wasn’t available on Saturday, and possibly the following two days, due to shoulder tightness. So, despite things finally headed in the right direction for this team, the closer situation has still been on shaky ground. And that was made very clear once again in Tuesday’s 11-9 loss the Marlins.

After taking an 8-4 lead into the 7th inning, Jeurys Familia quickly gave three runs back before exiting with only one out. Seranthony Domínguez then allowed a game-tying homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. Brad Hand kept the game tied with a scoreless 8th before Rhys Hoskins put the Phillies back ahead with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. That set the stage for Knebel, who entered the game with 11 saves in 14 chances.

The first batter of the inning, Miguel Rojas, ripped a 3-1 pitch that was backhanded by third baseman Alec Bohm. But instead of there being one out on what would’ve been a terrific play by Bohm, his low throw could not be dug out by Hoskins and the leadoff man was on base to start the inning. And then it got real ugly. Knebel walked the next two batters on a total of nine pitches. With the bases loaded, he started off Garrett Cooper with another ball. That’s 12 balls and three strikes at that point. The next pitch was grounded into left field for a game-tying single. Knebel was removed with no outs and the bases loaded. Two batters later, a two-run double by Jesus Aguilar off of Andrew Bellatti would be all the Marlins would need.

It’s probably time to move in a different direction at closer, at least temporarily. Hand has the experience (127 career saves) and a 1.96 ERA in 2022. But the question might end up being whether he serves as a stop-gap to Domínguez, shares the closer’s job with him, or whether manager Rob Thomson just goes ahead and names Domínguez as his closer.

Prior to giving up the homer to Chisholm, the 27-year-old Domínguez had not allowed a run in his previous 14 innings. He currently has a 1.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. And while he doesn’t have a save in 2022, he wouldn’t be new to the closer’s role. He saved 16 games as a rookie in 2018 and was still considered by many as the team’s closer of the future while he recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2019 and 2020. Seranthony’s time might have finally arrived.

 

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.