Bullpen Report: Opening Weekend 2023

The 2023 version of the 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.

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

•Reynaldo López, CHW: 37 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource
•Kendall Graveman, CHW: Three of the last four days; 16 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

The White Sox’ closing committee will almost definitely be without two key members on Monday, with Aaron Bummer, Joe Kelly, and Jake Diekman likeliest for high-leverage outs.

•Jorge López, MIN: Three of the last four days; 11 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Jhoan Duran didn’t pitch Saturday after sleeping poorly Friday night, but assuming he’s available Monday he should be the one to get a save opportunity.

•Carlos Estévez, LAA: 28 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

Jimmy Herget, Ryan Tepera, Matt Moore, and Aaron Loup are all possibilities if the Angels have their first save opportunity of the year come up on Monday.

•Alexis Díaz, CIN: 9 pitches on Sunday; 10 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Pitching three straight games this early in the season isn’t all that likely, even with Díaz so efficient on Saturday and Sunday. Assuming he is indeed out of action, Reiver Sanmartin, Ian Gibaut, Buck Farmer, or Fernando Cruz could earn a save chance Monday.

•Brusdar Graterol, LAD: 21 pitches on Sunday. | RosterResource

The Dodgers are rolling with a closer by committee, so Graterol’s unavailability gives the Dodgers plenty of options. Evan Phillips, Caleb Ferguson, Alex Vesia, or Yency Almonte could all get a shot on Monday.

•Josh Hader, SDP: 14 pitches on Sunday; 16 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Luis García threw 20 pitches on Sunday, so he may not be available either. That would leave Steven Wilson and Tim Hill as the top choices to close on Monday.

Injury News

•Ryan Pressly, HOU: Missed Friday and Saturday’s games due to illness. | RosterResource

There’s no long-term concern here with Pressly, but his unavailability did allow for a couple of Outlier Saves, with Rafael Montero filling in on Friday and Héctor Neris on Saturday. A save situation didn’t arise on Sunday (the Astros lost 6-3) so it’s unclear if Pressly would have been available or not. His availability for Monday against the Tigers is unclear.

•Devin Williams, MIL: Took a line drive off his elbow on Saturday; availability for Sunday and beyond unknown. | RosterResource

Williams didn’t pitch on Sunday, but since the Brewers won 9-5 it’s unclear if Williams would have if the Brewers had a save opportunity for him in the ninth. Williams told reporters that his availability for Sunday would be pending a pregame visit in the training room. Consider Williams day-to-day for now, with Matt Bush, Peter Strzelecki, and (if it’s a left-on-left situation) Hoby Milner likeliest to fill in if Williams needs another day or two.

https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1642563479595806724

•Giovanny Gallegos, STL: Has been held out of action with a back injury. | RosterResource

Gallegos hasn’t yet pitched this season with a bad back, but an MRI came back clean, so it appears as if the Cardinals are going to take it day by day. The Cardinals won 9-4 on Sunday so they were able to stick with low-leverage arms, leaving Gallegos’s availability in question, but they’re surely hoping to have him back on Monday against the Braves.

Outlier Saves

•Trevor Stephan, CLE (Sunday) | RosterResource

Teams simply aren’t going to push their closers to work three straight days this early in the season, which led to Emmanuel Clase unavailability on Sunday despite throwing just eighteen pitches combined between Friday and Saturday. James Karinchak threw 25 pitches on Saturday, which led Stephan to be the top closing option in the tenth inning in Seattle. Sam Haggerty stole third with just one out, but a strikeout and a fly out left him right there, sealing a 6-5 Guardians win. Stephan, just signed to a $10M extension that with club options could buy out two FA years, earned his fifth career save at the outset of his third season in the league.

•Rafael Montero and Héctor Neris, HOU (Friday and Saturday) | RosterResource

As mentioned in Injury News above, the Astros needed a couple of fill-in closers with Ryan Pressly sidelined due to illness, with Montero and Neris each picking up a save over the weekend with Pressly sick. Montero—on account of his large contract and excellent showing last season—is probably the first pick for backup saves, with Neris more in that second tier of second-string closers with Bryan Abreu.

•Tucker Davidson, LAA and Andre Jackson, LAD (Saturday) | RosterResource

We’ll lump these two Los Angeles arms together, with each picking up saves in the same way on Saturday: by pitching three-plus innings in a blowout win. Davidson, who will actually be the Angels’ sixth starter, pitched the final four innings of the Angels’ 13-1 win against the A’s, with Jackson following Clayton Kershaw with three innings in a 10-1 win against the Diamondbacks. Both pitchers pitched shutout ball and helped soak up bullpen innings but won’t be counted on for traditional save opportunities anytime soon.

Committee Clarity

•Will Smith, TEX | RosterResource

Smith’s first appearance as a member of the Rangers gave some important insight to the Rangers’ ninth-inning mix, with believed-to-be closer José Leclerc not used despite not pitching since Thursday; as of now, no reason for Leclerc’s unavailability has been reported, so it doesn’t appear he’s dealing with an injury. Smith set the Phillies down 1-2-3, which could keep him in the ninth-inning mix if manager Bruce Bochy elects to keep mixing and matching rather than anointing Leclerc as his only closer. Jonathan Hernández and Brock Burke are also pitchers to watch for save opportunities.

Losing A Grip

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