Bullpen Report: May 28, 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.
- 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.)
Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.
Notable Workloads
•Stefan Crichton, ARI: Back-to-back days; 13 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Joakim Soria is a likely candidate for a save chance on Friday if Crichton isn’t available.
•Yimi García, MIA: Back-to-back days; 19 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource
Dylan Floro threw 27 pitches on Thursday. Anthony Bass is a likely candidate for a save chance on Friday if Garcia isn’t available.
•Josh Hader, MIL: Back-to-back days; 3 of last 4 days; 12 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource
Devin Williams has also pitched back-to-back days, including a 32-pitch outing on Thursday, as has Brent Suter. Brad Boxberger is a likely candidate for a save chance on Friday if Hader isn’t available.
•Alex Reyes, STL: Back-to-back days; 22 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource
Giovanny Gallegos and Génesis Cabrera have also pitched back-to-back days. If neither Reyes, Gallegos, or Cabrera are available on Friday, Ryan Helsley is a likely candidate for a save chance.
Injury News
•None
Outlier Saves
•Ryan Tepera, CHC | RosterResource
It took a while for it to become clear who would be the top candidate for a save chance if Craig Kimbrel was ever unavailable, but that’s not longer that case. With Kimbrel unavailable on Thursday after working back-to-back days and three of the last four, Tepera came in to record the final four outs in the team’s 5-3 win over the Pirates.
The 33-year-old Tepera, who had not had a save since he had seven for the Blue Jays in 2018, has not allowed a run over his last 9.1 innings. He’s allowed only one hit over that span with no walks and 14 strikeouts.
•Jacob Barnes, NYM | RosterResource
For the second time in his last three appearances, Barnes picked up a one-out save after the pitcher who began the inning could not close things out. Last time, he cleaned up a mess left by Aaron Loup. In game two of Thursday’s double-header — Edwin Díaz picked up the save in game one — it was Robert Gsellman who was removed after allowing the Rockies to cut the lead to 4-2 after an RBI single by Raimel Tapia. With two outs and the tying run at the plate, Barnes retired Ryan McMahon on a flyout to left field to end the game and complete the double-header sweep.
•Chad Green, NYY | RosterResource
With Aroldis Chapman unavailable for a second consecutive day due to illness, Green pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to close out a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays in the second game of Thursday’s double-header. Jonathan Loaisiga got the save last time Chapman wasn’t available, but he pitched during the fifth and sixth innings to help bridge the gap to Green.
•Daniel Ponce de Leon, STL | RosterResource
The Cardinals’ top three relievers — Reyes, Gallegos, and Cabrera — were used earlier in the game, leaving Ponce de Leon as one of the few remaining options to hold a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the tenth with the Diamondbacks’ heart of the order coming up. He retired Ketel Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and David Peralta in order, stranding the ghost runner at second, to pick up his second career save.
Committee Clarity
•Lucas Sims, CIN | RosterResource
Sims allowed three earned runs in a disastrous outing against the Brewers last Friday, raising his ERA to 6.48. So, would you believe it if I told you that he’d pick up saves in his next two appearances? Probably not, but it’s not entirely crazy considering how unclear the Reds’ closer situation has been all season long. Their best reliever, Tejay Antone, only had two of the team’s eight saves coming into Thursday’s game. Most every other reliever has struggled. Thus, a struggling Reds’ reliever getting a save chance on any given day is possible.
On Tuesday, Sims got a one-out save after Amir Garrett allowed a solo homer to Josh Bell to cut the Reds’ lead to 2-1. On Thursday, he followed six scoreless innings from Sonny Gray with a 1-2-3 seventh to finish a 3-0 shutout win over the Nationals. Neither save chance had a very high level of difficulty, but maybe they’ll serve as confidence boosters and he can get his season on track.
•Jordan Romano, TOR | RosterResource
Following his appearance on Monday, I wrote that Romano appeared to be “in the driver’s seat to take hold of the closer’s job”. On Thursday, that hold appears to be getting stronger. He followed Alek Manoah’s six shutout innings in his major league debut with a 1-2-3 seventh to close out a 2-0 shutout over the Yankees in game one of the double-header.
It was only Romano’s second save of the season, but he continues to prove that he’s the team’s best option at closer at the moment. Over his last nine appearances, the 28-year-old has allowed just one earned run and three hits over nine innings. He has four walks and 16 strikeouts over that span.
Losing A Grip
•None
Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.