Bullpen Report: May 18, 2021

The 2021 version of Bullpen Report includes five different sections, as well as the closer chart, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

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

•Raisel Iglesias, LAA: Back-to-back days; 14 pitches on Monday. | RosterResource

Mike Mayers has also pitched back-to-back days. Tony Watson is a likely candidate for a save chance if neither Iglesias or Mayers is available on Tuesday. Iglesias will probably be available, however, for a third consecutive day.

•Edwin Díaz, NYM: Back-to-back days; 14 pitches on Monday. | RosterResource

Trevor May, Miguel Castro, and Jeurys Familia are likely candidates for a save chance if Diaz isn’t available on Tuesday. Diaz will probably be available, however, for a third consecutive day.

•Tyler Rogers, SFG: Back-to-back days; 4 of last 5 days; 14 pitches on Monday. | RosterResource

Jake McGee is a likely candidate for a save chance on Tuesday. While Rogers has pitched often — he leads the majors with 24 appearances — he’s thrown only 51 pitches over his last four outings and could still be available on Tuesday.

 

Injury News

•Rafael Dolis, TOR: Will likely be activated from the 10-Day IL on Tuesday. | RosterResource

After injuring his calf on May 7, Dolis stayed on the active roster for one more game as the Blue Jays waited to decide if he would be ready soon enough to avoid an Injured List stint. They ended up placing him on the 10-Day IL, but it’s been expected that he’d be ready to return when eligible or soon thereafter.

Jordan Romano and A.J. Cole each picked up a save while Dolis was out — the Jays won six of eight since his injury — but he’ll likely be back in the closer’s role once he’s activated.

 

Outlier Saves

•None

 

Committee Clarity

•Michael Fulmer and Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource

Having already pitched back-to-back days on six occasions through his first 18 appearances, Soto was clearly in need of some help from anyone else in a Tigers’ bullpen that’s been mostly terrible. It was inevitable that the next pitcher to step up and succeed in a high-leverage role would get a chance to share the closer’s role. That pitcher has arrived. Since returning to the bullpen on May 5, Fulmer had allowed just one unearned run in seven innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.

On Monday, Soto entered in the bottom of the eighth to record the final out on four pitches and preserve a 3-1 lead over the Mariners. But he would not return for the ninth. The 29-year-old Fulmer closed things out with another scoreless inning to pick up his third save and continue to build the trust of manager A.J. Hinch.

•Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee, SFG | RosterResource

With McGee not pitching for a second consecutive day after a blown save and a loss in his last two outings, respectively, on Friday and Saturday, it was Rogers who pitched the final inning on Monday to close out a 6-3 win over the Reds.

While the 30-year-old submariner already has five saves, they’ve rarely come on a day when it was obvious that McGee, who has 10 saves, was also available and passed over for the final outs. It’s not entirely clear if McGee was available or not on Monday, but the Giants’ closer role is beginning to look like it will be a Rogers-McGee tandem with manager Gabe Kapler mixing and matching with the duo.

 

Losing A Grip

•None

 

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.