Bullpen Report: June 20, 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.

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

•Raisel Iglesias, LAA: Three of the last four days; 10 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Ryan Tepera and Aaron Loup have also pitched in three of the last four days, including Sunday, but at least one of the three may well be available. If none of them are, Archie Bradley and José Quijada are the likeliest closers.

•Jordan Romano, TOR: 28 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Yimi García and Tim Mayza could both factor into the ninth on Monday if the Blue Jays have the lead and Romano is unavailable, with García from the right side and Mayza from the left.

•David Bednar, PIT: 32 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Wil Crowe and Chris Stratton are the likeliest Pirates closers on Monday.

Injury News

•Alexis Díaz, CIN: Placed on the 15-day IL (biceps tendinitis) on Sunday. | RosterResource

Díaz has been one of the very few bright spots in a Reds bullpen that has struggled all season. The rookie, brother of Mets closer Edwin, has been brilliant in his first 30 big league innings. He’s had some trouble with walks, issuing 14 of them, but he’s allowed just 16 hits while striking out 30 and earning a couple of saves. All told, he has a 2.40 ERA.

Díaz had been a key part of the Reds’ closing committee, and now that he’s out the bullpen is even more in flux. Hunter Strickland, Joel Kuhnel, Luis Cessa and Jeff Hoffman are all very plausible closing options, and Ross Detwiler has been good in seven innings, so he may factor into left-on-left matchups in the ninth.

Outlier Saves

•Enyel De Los Santos, CLE | RosterResource

Emmanuel Clase has been nothing short of a rock lately, pitching in each of the Guardians’ last four games prior to Friday, saving each of them. So he got a much-needed day off on Friday, with De Los Santos ultimately getting the ball in the tenth with a one-run lead and one out, after Anthony Gose stayed in to strike out Freddie Freeman. De Los Santos went groundout, walk, strikeout to earn his first career save.

The 26-year-old righty has become a key member of Terry Francona’s bullpen despite starting the season in the minors, with a 2.45 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.

•Brad Boxberger, MIL | RosterResource

With Josh Hader on the paternity list, the guess had been that Devin Williams would be the sole closer for the few days that Hader’s away from the team. Craig Counsell elected to use Williams against the top of the order in his typical eighth inning, though, leaving the ninth to the veteran Boxberger. It got a little hairy for Boxberger, with a single and a walk surrendered, but he induced a flyout from the pinch-hitting Joey Votto to end things for his first save of 2022 and 82nd of his career.

Committee Clarity

•Tanner Houck, BOS | RosterResource

The clarity here is that Houck might just be the closer now! He’s gotten each of Boston’s last three saves, getting out of a jam that Austin Davis left for him on Friday evening with two outs in the ninth. Houck has brought some much-needed stability to the Red Sox bullpen that’s been pretty bereft of reliable options over the course of the season, at least as far as the end of games is concerned. John Schreiber, Matt Strahm, Hansel Robles and Jake Diekman will continue to play key setup roles.

•Brad Hand, PHI| RosterResource

Let’s not read too much into a sample size of one, but it’s nonetheless worth noting that Hand was the first to get a save opportunity in the post-Corey Knebel era in the ninth for the Phillies. He wasn’t sharp, needing 23 pitches (only 14 of which were strikes) to lock down game one of the doubleheader, but he managed to get it done for his second save of the season.

The veteran lefty has been great in his first season with the Phillies, with a 1.86 ERA in 19.1 innings, along with 21 strikeouts, though he’s walked 11. Righty Seranthony Domínguez should share closing duties with Hand for now.

Losing A Grip

•Craig Kimbrel, LAD| RosterResource

Kimbrel’s first season with the Dodgers, simply put, has been erratic. Sunday’s loss was his third on the season in 22 appearances, and it rose his ERA to 4.71, which would be by far his worst in a 162-game season (Kimbrel signed late in 2019 and the 2020 season, of course, was shortened). He has 33 strikeouts in 21 innings, yes, but also 11 walks and 22 hits allowed. Control has never been Kimbrel’s strong suit, but more than a hit per inning is out of the ordinary for him.

Fellow veteran Daniel Hudson has thrown the ball quite well, with a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings, and has earned five saves on days Kimbrel was unavailable or on paternity leave. If Kimbrel needs a reset in lower-leverage spots, Hudson would definitely be the guy in the ninth.