Bullpen Report: June 21, 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.
- 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.
- Injury News
- Outlier Saves: Explanation for a non-closer earning a save during the previous day.
- Committee Clarity: Notes on a closer committee that clarify a pitcher’s standing in the group.
- 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
•Tanner Houck, BOS: 14 pitches on Monday, three of last four days. | Roster Resource
In all three of Houck’s latest appearances, he has converted on save opportunities. He’ll likely be in need of rest on Tuesday and with John Schreiber also on “High Usage Alert”, Matt Strahm, Jake Diekman, or Hansel Robles could be available to close out the game.
•Clay Holmes, NYY: 25 pitches on Monday. | Roster Resource
Once Gerrit Cole was taken out of the game after giving up his first hit in the eighth inning the Rays got the bats going. Holmes came in and looked unusually rocky and gave up only his second earned run of the season. He got the final two outs in the inning but was tagged with a blown save. The Yankees came back to score in the top of the ninth and Wandy Peralta closed out the game in the bottom of the frame and recorded a win. If Holmes is unavailable on Tuesday after Monday’s high pitch count, Miguel Castro or Michael King are likely to fill in.
•Kenley Jansen, ATL: 20 pitches on Monday, back-t0-back days. | Roster Resource
A.J. Minter and Will Smith should be available to throw in late innings if Jansen needs a day off.
Injury News
•None
Outlier Saves
•None
Committee Clarity
•Joe Kelly, CHW
Last night’s contest on the southside of Chicago was a high-scoring affair that ended 8-7, White Sox. Lance Lynn threw five and gave up three earned runs. Reynaldo López took over in the sixth and threw two scoreless innings. The ball then went to Kendall Graveman in the eighth and he recorded the hold, giving up a double to Teoscar Hernandez, but no allowed runs. It was Joe Kelly, only about a week in from returning from the IL, who got the opportunity to close out the game. He started off with a strikeout to Matt Chapman, but then gave up a single and a home run. He recorded the final two outs to earn the save but it was not the most convincing outing.
Kelly only has six career saves and hasn’t really gotten into much of a rhythm so far in 2022. It’s unclear as to why Kelly got the ninth and Graveman got the eighth, but perhaps this tweet from The Athletic’s Chicago White Sox beat writer gives insight:
Kendall Graveman is coming in for the eighth, but since he’s facing the Jays’ 3-4-5, there’s a case to be made that this is the biggest inning.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) June 21, 2022
Losing a Grip
•None
Last night when the Yanks got the lead back in the 9th Holmes was the pitcher of record. CBS has him listed as the winner and espn has Peralta as the winning pitcher. What gives?
Feels like LaRussa just being LaRussa and nearly blew that win because he over-managed that late inning, “high leverage” situation a bit.
With a 3-run lead, if you can’t trust Kelly to handle facing Vlad Jr and Teoscar followed by the fairly weak rest of the order, then maybe he simply shouldn’t be trusted to close out the 9th either, especially since he could easily end up facing the top of the order (NVM the fact Graveman could’ve gotten into a little bit of trouble himself)… as he ended up doing (against both Springer and Bichette… and barely escaping w/out facing Vladito anyway).
This despite the fact that Graveman had plenty of rest and could likely go upto 2 innings to save the game should Kelly start to get into a jam like he essentially ended up doing in the 9th w/ no safety net (because Graveman was already used). Kelly coulda given up a HR or 2 to Vladito and Teoscar (as worst case scenario) and not really done much worse than he actually did in the 9th, and the rest of the order wouldn’t likely give Graveman any real trouble unless/until it gets back up to Springer… and that’s likely the worst case scenario.
But since things went as they did, even though they did win the game, where does that place Kelly anyway? Doesn’t seem like he can be trusted w/ a 3-run lead even against the bottom of the order (although the Jays probably has one of the better bottoms of the order around the league, but nothing special)…
Maybe next time in same situation, LaRussa will just end up giving both innings to Graveman (if he’s similarly well rested and breeze thru the 1st inning) and not bother w/ Kelly at all?
Only thing I can think of that justifies the move is if LaRussa also wanted to ascertain whether Kelly should be deployed for any (barely) “high leverage” situations at all going forward. And if so, well, he probably only got a barely passing grade, if that, last night — he certainly doesn’t seem that trustworthy w/ less than 3-run lead even against the bottom of the order… But what if Graveman did get into a little (or a lot) of trouble in the 8th? Was Kelly still going to close the game if Graveman gave up a couple runs or simply couldn’t finish the 8th (as that was a very real possibility afterall, especially since he could’ve been a little bit rusty after not being used for a whole week)?
That’s a lot to surmise from one game and a Twitter theory from some fella named Josh Fegan.