Bullpen Report: May 26, 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.
- 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.
- Injury News
- Outlier Saves: Explanation for a non-closer earning a save during the previous day.
- Committee Clarity: Notes on a closer committee that clarify a pitcher’s standing in the group.
- 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
•Taylor Rogers, MIN: 26 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource
Hansel Robles is the top candidate to fill in on Wednesday. So too could Alex Colomé, who’s worked back-to-back days, but on only 21 pitches.
•Tejay Antone, CIN: 33 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource
The Reds will have to look elsewhere in their closer committee on Wednesday; Amir Garrett, Lucas Sims and Sean Doolittle should all be available.
Injury News
•None
Outlier Saves
•Kyle Zimmer, KCR | RosterResource
Josh Staumont labored through a 36-pitch outing on Saturday, so it’s possible he was just given a third day off and hasn’t actually lost his grip on the closer’s job. After seven strong innings from Brad Keller and a perfect four-batter appearance for Jake Brent, Zimmer was tasked with recording the last two outs. He walked the first batter faced but immediately erased him with a game-ending double play, earning his second save of the season. Zimmer’s allowed just five runs in 17 innings this year, four of which came in one outing.
Committee Clarity
•James Karinchak, CLE | RosterResource
Emmanuel Clase walked a tightrope for the save on Monday, and apparently it was Karinchak’s turn to do the same on Tuesday. The dominant righty was coming off his first shaky outing of the season on Sunday, taking the loss in giving up three runs without recording an out. He could’ve suffered a similar fate on Tuesday, having only recorded one out before allowing a run (charged to starter Aaron Civale), loading the bases with the go-ahead run at the plate. Karinchak was able to recover, though, recording the final two outs. Karinchak now has six saves to Clase’s eight, and they figure to continue splitting up the save chances fairly evenly.
•Rafael Montero, SEA | RosterResource
When Keynan Middleton closed the door on Monday (after Montero had struggled in the seventh), it looked like he was the top closing option for the Mariners while Kendall Graveman is on the COVID-related IL for an undisclosed reason. But Middleton didn’t pitch at all on Tuesday, and Montero closed the door. The enigmatic righty allowed a couple of hits but kept the A’s off the board for his sixth save of the season.
It could continue to be a rather fluid situation for the M’s, with Montero inconsistent all season and Middleton pretty fresh off the IL and thus a possibility to be used carefully. In addition to Montero and Middleton, righties Erik Swanson and J.T. Chargois could factor in, along with lefty Anthony Misiewicz.
•Tejay Antone, Amir Garrett and Lucas Sims, CIN | RosterResource
Antone relieved Tyler Mahle in the fireman role he’s become so accustomed to, recording the last two outs of the sixth and then pitching the seventh and eighth, needing just 33 pitches to record his eight outs. Garrett then started the ninth but gave up a homer to Josh Bell to pull the game within one, and was removed one batter later. Sims then came on to face Starlin Castro, making quick work of him to end the game. The Reds have cycled through a lot of closing options and don’t seem to have a top choice, with one of the most fluid back-end mixes in the game:
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- Antone: two saves
- Sims: two saves
- Garrett: two saves
- Sean Doolittle: one save
- Heath Hembree: one save
Losing A Grip
•None
Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.
Jon Becker manages RosterResource's team payroll pages and assists with all other aspects of RosterResource, too. Follow him at your own peril on Twitter at @jonbecker_ and on BlueSky at @jon-becker.com.