Bullpen Report: October 2, 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.
- 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
•Ryan Pressly, HOU: 27 pitches on Saturday. | Roster Resource
Rafael Montero threw 10 pitches on Saturday, so if Pressly is unavailable and the Astros want to spread the workload, Héctor Neris or Ryne Stanek are likely to appear in a save situation.
•Kenley Jansen, ATL: 11 pitches on Saturday, back-to-back days. | Roster Resource
Raisel Iglesias has also appeared in back-to-back games and may be unavailable on Sunday. If that’s the case, A.J. Minter is rested and likely to appear.
•Devin Williams, MIL: 21 pitches on Saturday, back-to-back days. | Roster Resource
Matt Bush threw 10 pitches on Saturday but should still be available on Sunday along with Taylor Rogers.
Injury News
•None
Outlier Saves
•Cristopher Sánchez, PHI | Roster Resource
The 25-year-old lefty spent his first season of the rookie ball with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. He debuted with the Phillies last season and threw 12.2 innings in seven games. This season, he’s currently recorded 40 innings in 15 games and has added two wins along the way. Last night in game two of a doubleheader against the Nationals, the young reliever recorded his first big league save. He did it in three innings with a large lead. He gave up four hits, one walk, two earned runs, and struck out one. FanGraphs prospect analysts Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin gave Sánchez an organizational rank of 27 and wrote the following in January:
“…Sánchez has a history of throwing about an average rate of strikes, but regressed in 2021. His long arm action, theoretically more difficult to maintain, may be a cause. We like Sánchez’s arm strength (would he sit 95-plus if he was ‘penned full-time?) and his changeup (he boasted a 54.2% whiff rate with the change, albeit in a small sample) out of the bullpen, but given the state of the Phillies’ upper-level pitching depth, he’s arguably the best spot-starting option in the org right now.”
•Richard Bleier, MIA | Roster Resource
Edward Cabrera exited after the third inning due to what appeared to be an ankle injury. That led to seven relievers appearing in the rest of the game. Bleier threw a clean ninth inning and recorded the save, his first of the year. Dylan Floro, the team’s closer, did not appear in the game and Tanner Scott, the next-in-line to Floro, appeared in the seventh. This was simply a flexible game plan due to the unexpected early exit of Cabrera. Bleier has held a 3.49 ERA this season and has recorded two wins.
•Brusdar Graterol, LAD | Roster Resource
It’s hard to decide whether or not Graterol’s save should be listed as an outlier in today’s report. While we don’t have him in a committee role just yet, it feels like he’s going to get more opportunities in high-leverage in the playoffs, but that’s just a guess. He has been on and off the IL all season and had he been available during Craig Kimbrel’s struggles, he may have been the reliever to take over the closer role. Regardless, he earned his fourth save of the season last night against the Rockies and did so with one strikeout, no hits, and no walks. Evan Phillips threw in the eighth, Tommy Kahnle in the seventh, and Kimbrel in the sixth.
Committee Clarity
•None
Losing a Grip
•None