Bullpen Report: June 23, 2021

NEW FEATURE ALERT! We have added an upgraded version of RosterResource’s Closer Depth Chart to FanGraphs. Read more about it here.

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).

Notable Workloads

•Pete Fairbanks, TBR: 36 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource
•J.P. Feyereisen, TBR: 26 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Diego Castillo is the top option to close Wednesday if a save spot arises.

•Will Smith, ATL: Three straight days; 10 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

A.J. Minter has worked back-to-back days, but with only 19 pitches total he ought to be available anyway. Luke Jackson and Chris Martin are also options.

•Brad Hand, WSH: 34 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Tanner Rainey and Wander Suero are the best bets to fill in.

Injury News

•Tejay Antone, CIN: Activated from 10-day IL (forearm inflammation) on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Antone is a welcome return for the beleaguered Reds bullpen, as he’s been by far Cincinnati’s best reliever so far, entering Tuesday’s action with a K% of 35.5%, walking under ten percent of batters faced while allowing just two homers in 32 innings of work. Things weren’t quite as sharp for Antone on Tuesday, who allowed a two-run double to Alex Kirilloff (the first batter he faced) to tie the game before getting two consecutive outs, ending his day.

Antone probably won’t be the closer, as the Reds just haven’t employed a single stopper at any point throughout the season. Instead, he’ll slide back in to a fluid late-inning situation that also includes Lucas Sims, Sean Doolittle, Amir Garrett, Heath Hembree and Brad Brach.

Outlier Saves

•Amir Garrett, CIN | RosterResource

The aforementioned Antone coughed up the save (with both runs charged to Sims) in the bottom of the eighth, and coming off of injury it appears the Reds simply didn’t want to push him to get another three outs with a three run lead. So, Garrett was handed the ball, earning his fourth save of the year while allowing just a single with two outs.

Despite the handful of saves, it’s been an incredibly rough season for the big lefty, whose ERA was lowered to 8.44, without much better peripherals (7.48 FIP, eight HR allowed). There’s reason to believe Garrett’s turning a corner a bit, as he has three straight scoreless outings now and has allowed a run in just one of his last eight appearances. Garrett also has an unsustainably high HR/FB (over one-third of fly balls allowed are leaving the yard) that should regress to a more normal level over time.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•None

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.