Bullpen Report: June 28, 2019

Roughly 24 hours ago, we may have wondered how soon the Cubs would use Craig Kimbrel as their closer once he was called up. That question was answered quickly and definitively on Thursday night. Mere hours after getting promoted from Triple-A Iowa, Joe Maddon called on Kimbrel to protect a 9-7 lead against the Braves in the top of the ninth inning. He got off to an auspicious start to his tenure with his new team, throwing strikes on each of his first six pitches and retiring former battery mate Brian McCann and Johan Camargo. Kimbrel struck out McCann on three pitches, though the called third strike did appear to be just outside the strike zone.

After getting Ronald Acuna into a 1-2 count, Kimbrel’s night took a slight turn for the worse. Acuna worked his way into a seven-pitch at-bat, ultimately blemishing Kimbrel’s debut with a ground rule double. Then his control briefly abandoned him in a four-pitch walk to Dansby Swanson. It only took one pitch for Kimbrel to end the threat, as Anthony Rizzo snagged a Freddie Freeman grounder hit down the first base line and got to the base just in time to get the final out.

The sequence of setup relievers was pretty much what past usage patterns would have dictated, with Steve Cishek taking over for starter Tyler Chatwood in the sixth inning and Brandon Kintzler pitching the seventh. Deposed closer Pedro Strop tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning for his first hold.

With the transition of closers in Chicago having been completed, our attention now turns to where the next new closer may pop up. The Rockies would seem to be a likely candidate. Just when it looked like Wade Davis might be rounding back into form, having pitched scoreless innings in each of his last three appearances, he melted down while trying to keep the Rockies in an 8-8 tie with the Dodgers in the top of the ninth inning. After starting off by retiring Cody Bellinger on a first-pitch flyout, he gave up the go-ahead run by allowing a walk and back-to-back singles in succession. Then Enrique Hernandez’s two-out three-run homer gave the Dodgers a commanding lead — one that Kenley Jansen protected, despite a tumultuous bottom of the ninth.

Even with his recent stretch of scoreless appearances, Davis had been showing signs of being vulnerable to blowups like the one he endured on Thursday night. Over his previous three outings, he induced only two swinging strikes on 48 total pitches, and going back to his June 7 activation from the IL, Davis has compiled a puny 7.0 percent SwStr%. Though his average fastball velocity of 95.2 mph was his highest for any outing since May 2, the results don’t exactly inspire confidence. Whether you’re a Davis owner or not, it’s a good time to add Scott Oberg just in case Bud Black decides it’s time to make a change.

There probably isn’t an imminent change in store for the closer’s role in Miami, though it is probably just a matter of time before Sergio Romo gets traded. We could get a preview of Don Mattingly’s post-Romo plans this weekend, as his incumbent closer departed Thursday night’s 8-5 loss to the Nationals with a bruised left knee sustained in a collision with Trea Turner. Nick Anderson, who has the Marlins’ most recent save (recorded on Sunday against the Phillies), would be the most likely fill-in, though Jose Quijada could be a candidate as well. The 23-year-old rookie notched his first career save on Saturday, and he could be Mattingly’s preferred option if the matchups dictate that he should use a left-handed reliever.

Neither Hector Neris nor Edwin Diaz would seem to be in danger of a demotion from the closer’s role, but both failed to get the job done in the Phillies’ 6-3 win over the Mets. Neris started off the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead, but he relinquished it on Todd Frazier’s one-out, two-run homer. He was then removed after allowing consecutive singles to Dominic Smith and Wilson Ramos. J.D. Hammer got both Amed Rosario and Adeiny Hechavarria out to end the inning, though Smith scored on Rosario’s groundout.

The two-run lead was short-lived, as Diaz coughed up a Maikel Franco two-run homer with no outs. He would then strike J.T. Realmuto out, but that would be Diaz’s last out. After walking Sean Rodriguez and allowing a Scott Kingery single, Jean Segura walked off with his 10th home run of the season.

Diaz is still missing bats, as he got four swinging strikes in 34 pitches on Thursday night and has registered an 18.1 percent SwStr% over his last nine innings. Over that same period, however, he has allowed 13 runs on 17 hits, including four home runs and four doubles. In most leagues, it is too soon to be speculating on a replacement, especially in light of Seth Lugo’s recent struggles, but this situation does bear close monitoring.

Quick hits: Josh Hader (19) and Shawn Kelley (11) both recorded saves on Thursday night, and Hader’s was of the two-inning variety. Each of the lefty’s last three saves has been comprised of two perfect innings, and over those six innings, he has struck out 10 batters with 19 swinging strikes in 66 pitches (28.8 percent SwStr%)…Taylor Rogers, Blake Parker, Trevor May and Ryne Harper were all used in the Twins’ 18-inning loss to the Rays on Thursday night after each had pitched on Wednesday night. For the Rays, Emilio Pagan and Colin Poche were also used for a second straight night. Chaz Roe, who threw only two pitches in the marathon affair, could be a candidate to get a save chance, should one avail itself on Friday night against the Rangers.