Bullpen Report: May 20, 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

•Will Smith, ATL: Back-to-back days; 17 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Chris Martin is a likely candidate for a save chance if Smith isn’t available on Thursday.

•Tyler Rogers, SFG: 3 of last 4 days; 22 pitches on Wednesday; Jake McGee, SFG: Back-to-back days; 8 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

One or both will likely be available on Thursday. If not, Caleb Baragar and Zack Littell are likely candidates for a save chance.

•Pete Fairbanks, TBR: 28 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Diego Castillo, who threw 16 pitches on Wednesday, is a likely candidate for a save chance on Thursday.

•Brad Hand, WSN: 25 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Daniel Hudson also threw 24 pitches on Wednesday. Neither Hand or Hudson had pitched since Sunday, so it’s likely that one or both will be available again on Thursday. If not, Wander Suero is a likely candidate for a save chance.

 

Injury News

•None

 

Outlier Saves

•None

 

Committee Clarity

•Michael Fulmer and Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource

The emergence of Fulmer as a second reliable closer option for the Tigers gives manager A.J. Hinch the ability to mix and match when he has a lead late in the game. On Wednesday, he went with Fulmer to face the heart of the Mariners’ lineup, including right-handed batters Mitch Haniger and Kyle Lewis, with his team ahead 5-2. If he happened to pitch a 1-2-3 inning or if he got into trouble, Soto could be ready to face a pair of lefties, Kyle Seager and J.P. Crawford, coming up in the order.

While Fulmer did allow two of the first three batters to reach, he stayed in the game to strikeout Seager and retire Tom Murphy for the third out. After the Tigers extended the lead to 6-2, Soto came in to close out the win in a non-save situation.

•Pete Fairbanks and Diego Castillo, TBR | RosterResource

With Castillo activated from the 10-Day Injured List last Friday, the big question has been whether the Rays would continue to lean on the 27-year-old for save chances or use a committee. And if it’s a committee, who would it include? There had been no save chances since Castillo returned, so it took five games to start putting the pieces together. But there’s a bit of clarity after Wednesday’s win over the Orioles.

Leading 9-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Castillo came on to pitch a scoreless inning. It was his second appearance since being activated. He allowed one run on a solo homer in his outing on Sunday. Fairbanks came on for the save chance in the ninth. It wasn’t pretty — he allowed a run on a walk and two singles — but he was able to close things out for his first save.

 

Losing A Grip

•None

 

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.