Bullpen Report: June 27, 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

•Kendall Graveman, CHW: 24 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Co-closer Joe Kelly should be available Monday if Graveman isn’t.

•Lou Trivino, OAK: 19 pitches on Sunday; 31 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

A.J. Puk and Domingo Acevedo should be available to close on Monday; Zach Jackson is probably unavailable.

•Craig Kimbrel, LAD: 25 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Brusdar Graterol has worked three straight days, so he’ll surely be unavailable Monday. That leaves Evan Phillips as the likeliest closer.

•Tanner Scott, MIA: 24 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

If Scott is unavailable Monday and a save chance arises, the Marlins would likely turn to Anthony Bass. Steven Okert is the top option from the left side.

Injury News

•None

 

Outlier Saves

•Oliver Ortega, LAA | RosterResource

If you click on that RosterResource link above, you’ll notice six names ahead of Ortega in the bullpen order, making him awfully unlikely to earn a save in any nine-inning game. Well, it was an awfully unlikely turn of events that got to that point. Here’s how it got to Ortega for the last two innings of Sunday’s one-run game:

• Raisel Iglesias: ejected during the first inning brawl
• Ryan Tepera: ejected during the first inning brawl
• Aaron Loup: 38 pitches on Friday
• Archie Bradley: 22 pitches on Saturday after 29 on Friday
• José Quijada: 27 pitches on Saturday
• Andrew Wantz: ejected during the first inning brawl (he had already pitched, anyway, being used as the opener)

And so, Ortega faced the minimum six batters in earning a rather improbable first career save. He’s been a pretty solid contributor to the Angels bullpen, lowering his ERA to 3.60 in 30 innings of work.

•Brusdar Graterol, LAD | RosterResource

Pretty standard outlier save here, unlike Ortega’s. Craig Kimbrel blew his save chance in the 10th, letting the zombie runner score, so Graterol had his shot in the 11th inning with a two-run lead. Graterol didn’t even let the zombie runner score, sealing the 5-3 victory for his first career save.

2022 has been up and down for Graterol; all-in-all he’s pitched to a 4.01 ERA in 33.2 innings, and that’s with a very low .239 BABIP allowed. He’s already allowed twice as many barrels this year as he did all of last year, so the quality of contact against him is trending downward.

•Andrew Bellatti, PHI | RosterResource

Co-closers Brad Hand and Seranthony Dominguez were both efficient on Saturday, and neither pitched on Friday, so it was a bit surprising to see them both held out on Sunday. But with an important series against the Braves that begins Tuesday in the offing, perhaps the team found it best to give them both two days off heading into that key midweek set. Rob Thomson elected to keep Corey Knebel in the setup role he’s become accustomed to since being removed from the closer’s role, pitching him in the seventh, which left José Alvarado for the eighth and Bellatti for the ninth. Bellatti had no problem holding the three run lead, tossing a 1-2-3 inning.

Bellatti’s been a very good and very under-the-radar arm for the Phillies this year, with 35 strikeouts and a 3.42 ERA in 23.2 innings. It was his first career save.

Committee Clarity

•Lou Trivino, OAK | RosterResource

With Dany Jiménez on the IL with a strained shoulder, the A’s have an opening at closer, and it’s been Trivino’s best opportunity yet to reclaim his closing job. Trivino has a long way to go to re-earning the team’s trust fully after 22 saves and a 3.18 ERA last year—his ERA was 9.18 as recently as June 16th—but back-to-back saves will help his case there. Especially impressive is that Trivino earned the save again on Sunday after throwing 32 pitches on Saturday, though he’ll surely be unavailable Monday now.

Losing A Grip

•None