Bullpen Report: June 6, 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

•Paul Sewald, SEA: Three of the last four days; 6 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

The Mariners will want to have their best reliever available against the Astros, but if he’s not, Diego Castillo should be. Andrés Muñoz is likely down after back-to-back days totaling 29 pitches.

Raisel Iglesias, LAA: 27 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

If Iglesias is even still the closer (he probably is) and the Angels are in position to break their losing streak on Monday, Iglesias may sit in favor of Ryan Tepera.

Taylor Rogers, SDP: Three of the last four days; 8 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Considering he was so efficient on Sunday, Rogers will likely be available Monday. But if not, Luis García or Nabil Crismatt could get a shot.

Injury News

Andrew Kittredge, TBR: Activated from the 15-day IL (back injury) on Sunday. | RosterResource

It’s a welcome and much-needed return for Kittredge, whose team just put breakout reliever J.P. Feyereisen on the IL on Friday with a shoulder impingement. Kittredge looked like he had absolutely no rust in his first appearance back, with a 1-2-3 inning on just eight pitches. He’s pitched to a 2.84 ERA over 19 innings and should be the top pick for saves. The Rays are never the least bit scripted with their closing situation, though.

Outlier Saves

Rafael Montero, HOU | RosterResource

It was quite a bizarre turn of events that led to Montero’s fourth save of the season on Sunday. Closer Ryan Pressly came on with a four-run lead just to get some work, but was ultimately ejected with two outs after disagreeing with a warning he was issued after an inside pitch to Michael A. Taylor. Phil Maton—still outside of a save opportunity—entered the game for the last out, but let all three batters he faced reach. Montero came in to put out the fire and needed just three pitches to do so.

Montero is amidst an excellent season as one of Dusty Baker’s most trusted relievers, with his scoreless outing lowering his ERA to 2.08. He’s struck out 24 batters in 21.2 innings.

Jovani Moran, MIN | RosterResource

Jhoan Duran, the Twins’ only closer for their series in Toronto with Emilio Pagán on the restricted list, was brought in for the eighth inning with a five run lead, potentially just to get him some work. But he got drilled on the knee by the first batter he faced, and though he was able to finish the inning on just eight pitches, the Twins evidently elected not to push it and let him take a seat in favor of Tyler Duffey. But Duffey ultimately made it a close game, allowing a three-run homer to Santiago Espinal with one out, ultimately ceding the ball to Moran with two outs and a runner on first.

It wasn’t an ideal situation for the rookie lefty, facing the righty George Springer with righty Bo Bichette on deck. But after allowing a single to Springer to put runners on the corners, Moran was able to hunker down and get a groundout from Bichette for his first career save. The Puerto Rican lefty might be becoming an important part of Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen, as he’s now pitched 6.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, showing a strong changeup that can get opposite-handed batters out.

Adonis Medina, NYM | RosterResource

Buck Showalter rolled with matchups over innings in the eighth and ninth, deciding to use Edwin Díaz, his dominant closer, in the eighth against the top of the order. Despite setting down the side on order on 15 pitches—a reasonably low number such that Díaz could have pitched the ninth—he was removed for top setup man Seth Lugo with the 4-5-6 hitters due up. Lugo did not have as good of a time as Díaz, coughing up the lead on a Will Smith homer before an Eddy Alvarez RBI single.

After the Mets retook the lead in the top of the 10th, they turned things over to Medina, he of five runs allowed in 8.2 innings this year as an up-and-down bullpen arm. He certainly didn’t have an easy task ahead of him, with the top of the order due up once again. Somehow, though, he made it through the gauntlet, allowing Trea Turner to reach (through no fault of his own, as it was on catcher’s interference) with two outs before striking out Smith for his first career save.

Steve Cishek, WSN | RosterResource

Tanner Rainey (back-to-back days totaling 41 pitches), Kyle Finnegan and Carl Edwards Jr. (three of four days each) appeared to be unavailable on Sunday, so the Nationals had to roll with their second line of righties after Patrick Corbin’s six innings of work. The team had wanted to use Víctor Arano for multiple innings, but he injured his hamstring or back of his knee (the team isn’t yet sure) fielding a ball to start his second inning of work. Erasmo Ramírez pitched the eighth before handing the ball to the experienced Cishek for the ninth.

It was a bit of an eventful inning for Cishek, who allowed a hit and a walk before Keibert Ruiz essentially closed the game for him by picking Nick Senzel off at first. For Cishek, it was 133rd career save, but first since he was with the Cubs in 2019.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•Raisel Iglesias, LAA | RosterResource

It’s up for debate if Iglesias even merits inclusion here, but he’s worth touching on. The Angels had the worst loss of their now-11-game losing streak on Sunday, with Iglesias right in the thick of it. He allowed a grand slam to Bryce Harper to tie the game in the eighth, and ended up taking the loss when Bryson Stott homered off Jimmy Herget to end the game (the winning run was inherited from Iglesias). Iglesias now has a 4.91 ERA, four losses and two blown saves. His homer, walk and strikeout rates are all still close to last year’s levels, but they’re also all worse.

If the Angels elect to make a change once they start winning some more games (or are in a position to), Ryan Tepera is the likeliest option, with Aaron Loup pitching in against lefties.

Not Very Stable
Hot Seat
Committee
Bullpen Report — 6/5/2022
Team Closer First Up Second Up Injured List
ARI Mark Melancon Ian Kennedy Joe Mantiply
ATL Kenley Jansen A.J. Minter Will Smith Tyler Matzek
BAL Jorge Lopez Felix Bautista Dillon Tate
BOS Tanner Houck John Schreiber Jake Diekman Hansel Robles
CHC David Robertson Rowan Wick Mychal Givens
CWS Liam Hendriks Kendall Graveman Aaron Bummer
CIN Tony Santillan Hunter Strickland Alexis Diaz Lucas Sims
CLE Emmanuel Clase Bryan Shaw Eli Morgan
COL Daniel Bard Tyler Kinley Alex Colome
DET Gregory Soto Michael Fulmer Andrew Chafin
HOU Ryan Pressly Rafael Montero Hector Neris
KC Scott Barlow Josh Staumont Arodys Vizcaino
LAA Raisel Iglesias Ryan Tepera Aaron Loup
LAD Craig Kimbrel Daniel Hudson Evan Phillips Blake Treinen
MIA Anthony Bass Tanner Scott Dylan Floro Anthony Bender
MIL Josh Hader Devin Williams Trevor Gott 0
MIN Jhoan Duran Griffin Jax Joe Smith Jorge Alcala
NYM Edwin Diaz Seth Lugo Drew Smith
NYY Clay Holmes Michael King Miguel Castro Aroldis Chapman
OAK Dany Jimenez AJ Puk Zach Jackson
PHI Corey Knebel Brad Hand Seranthony Dominguez
PIT David Bednar Chris Stratton Wil Crowe
STL Ryan Helsley Giovanny Gallegos Genesis Cabrera Jordan Hicks
SD Taylor Rogers Luis Garcia Robert Suarez Drew Pomeranz
SF Camilo Doval Dominic Leone Tyler Rogers
SEA Paul Sewald Diego Castillo Andres Muñoz Ken Giles
TB Andrew Kittredge Colin Poche Jason Adam J.P. Feyereisen
TEX Joe Barlow Matt Bush Brock Burke Jose Leclerc
TOR Jordan Romano Yimi Garcia Adam Cimber Tim Mayza
WSH Tanner Rainey Kyle Finnegan Carl Edwards Jr. Sean Doolittle





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