Bullpen Report: May 16, 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

•Josh Staumont, KCR: Three of the last four days; 16 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Co-closer Scott Barlow has had a lighter load than Staumont and should be good to go Monday.

•Emilio Pagán, MIN: Three straight days; 10 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Tyler Duffey and Jhoan Duran should both be available on Monday. Caleb Thielbar is the club’s only lefty option.

•Rowan Wick, CHC: 11 pitches on Sunday; 28 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Mychal Givens has ample closing experience and didn’t pitch Sunday, so he’s the top choice for a save chance on Monday.

•Daniel Bard, COL: 26 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Righties Alex Colomé, Tyler Kinley and Carlos Estévez should all be usable on Monday.

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•Jimmy Herget, LAA | RosterResource

Top relievers Raisel Iglseias, Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera have all been worked hard the past few days, with each arm pitching on Saturday, Friday and Wednesday. Especially with Iglesias having blown a lead and the game in Saturday’s first doubleheader contest, Joe Maddon didn’t hesitate to turn things over to Herget for the rest of the game with eight outs remaining. The sidearming righty cruised for his fist career save, only needing to face 10 batters to get those eight outs. He’s been a valuable multi-inning member of the Angels bullpen, with a 3.32 ERA in 19 innings.

•Diego Castillo, SEA | RosterResource

This season has been an immense struggle for Castillo, who entered play on Sunday with a 9.28 ERA in 10.1 innings, issuing six walks and allowing 18 hits in that timeframe. But once Drew Steckenrider began to have his own issues on Sunday, allowing four consecutive hits with one out, Scott Servais decided it was time to make a change. Enter Castillo to face Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, clinging to a one-run lead with runners on second and third. Castillo handled the tough task with aplomb, striking out Marte and then Alonso after issuing an intentional walk to Lindor. The Mariners are surely hoping this will be looked back on as an outing that turned Castillo’s season around.

•Aaron Ashby, MIL | RosterResource

Four-inning saves sure don’t happen often, but Craig Counsell elected to go full piggyback with Ashby after Brandon Woodruff gritted his way through five innings on 94 pitches. With the way Ashby was pitching—and with the Brewers widening their lead to four runs while he was still in the game—it was an easy decision. It ended up being four hitless innings for Ashby with 8 strikeouts, facing just one batter over the minimum.

Ashby has been an important member of the Brewers’ pitching staff, bouncing between the rotation (three starts) and bullpen (five relief appearances) as a plug-and-play flexible pitcher. He’s struck out 33 batters in 27.1 innings, and the no-walk outing on Sunday had to be encouraging to the Brewers, as he’d walked 17 batters in the 23.1 innings prior to that spotless performance.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•None