Bullpen Report: June 28, 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

•Liam Hendriks, CHW: 29 pitches (two games) on Sunday. | RosterResource

If Hendriks is unavailable on Monday—seemingly never a likely proposition—Aaron Bummer is the best bet to fill in.

•Gregory Soto, DET: 26 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource
•José Cisnero, DET: 20 pitches on Sunday; 22 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

If both of the Tigers’ closers are out of action on Monday, a save chance could fall to Bryan Garcia, Daniel Norris or Kyle Funkhouser.

Injury News

•Michael Fulmer, DET: Placed on 10-Day IL (cervical spine strain) on Sunday. | RosterResource

This isn’t Fulmer’s first stay on the IL this season, as he lost 11 days to injury earlier this month with a strained shoulder. The neck strain doesn’t sound serious for Fulmer, but manager A.J. Hinch didn’t want to roster “somebody who can’t pitch” and Fulmer would not have been able to enter a game until Thursday at the soonest. Even after allowing three runs on Saturday (Fulmer reported no discomfort until after the outing), Fulmer’s been having a good season, with a 4.05 ERA backed up perfectly by a 4.05 FIP, striking out almost a quarter of batters faced and walking just six percent.

With Fulmer out, Gregory Soto (six saves on the season) and José Cisnero (three) will make up the closer committee that had included Fulmer. Kyle Funkhouser’s also pitched well this year and could be a dark horse to enter the mix.

Outlier Saves

•None

Committee Clarity

•Archie Bradley and José Alvarado, PHI | RosterResource

Manager Joe Girardi had anointed Alvarado as his new closer, but after he failed to convert a five-out save chance in Game One on Friday, it’s possible he’s already lost the job, or at least sole possession of it. Alvarado pitched the eighth inning with a four-run lead, giving up a run before ceding the mound to Archie Bradley for the ninth. Bradley also gave up a run on a solo homer to Kevin Pillar, but was able to shut the door for his first save of the season.

Ironically, just-removed closer Héctor Neris did get a save in Game Two on Friday and got the save chance again on Saturday with both Bradley and Alvarado unavailable, but ended up blowing his sixth save of the season. Assuming Neris isn’t in the mix unless both Alvarado and Bradley are unavailable, it looks like a co-closer situation for right now.

Losing A Grip

•None

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.