Bullpen Report: September 1, 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.

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

•Garrett Whitlock, BOS: 38 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Matt Barnes has pitched back-to-back days. John Schreiber is a likely candidate for a save chance on Thursday if neither Whitlock nor Barnes is available.

•Gregory Soto, DET: 32 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Andrew Chafin and Joe Jiménez are likely candidates for a save chance on Thursday if Soto isn’t available.

•Paul Sewald, SEA: 24 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Andrés Muñoz is a likely candidate for a save chance on Thursday if Sewald isn’t available.

•Kyle Finnegan, WSN: 25 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Carl Edwards Jr. is a likely candidate for a save chance on Thursday if Finnegan isn’t available.

 

Injury Report

•Zach Jackson, OAK: Placed on 15-Day IL (shoulder inflammation) | RosterResource

Only a few days after Dany Jiménez was placed on the 60-Day IL with a strained shoulder, effectively ending his season, Jackson is also sidelined. Even if the 27-year-old rookie can come back sometime in September, A.J. Puk doesn’t have much competition for save chances. The lefty has at least a few weeks to build on his strong second half and establish himself as the leading candidate for the closer’s job in 2023.

Puk has a 2.21 ERA, four saves, 10 holds, and 26 strikeouts in his last 20.1 innings pitched while allowing only ten hits and nine walks. He’s also averaged at least 97 MPH with his fastball in nine of those appearances, compared to only four times in his first 29 outings. Finishing the season healthy is a key for the 27-year-old lefty, although his performance is also very encouraging.

 

Outlier Saves

•None

 

Committee Clarity

•Matt Barnes, BOS | RosterResource

After allowing two runs in an inning of work on Tuesday, Barnes’ momentum took a hit as he was just starting to establish himself once again as one of the Red Sox’s more reliable late-inning relievers. In 10.1 innings since returning from the Injured List in early August, the 32-year-old had allowed only two earned runs while striking out 12 and picking up a save and two holds. But manager Alex Cora gave his former closer a chance to bounce back on Wednesday.

Despite throwing 28 pitches on Tuesday, Barnes was called upon to secure a 6-5 lead in the 9th inning after the Twins had scored three times in the previous two innings against Garrett Whitlock. The inning started badly with a single and a walk, but Barnes retired Luis Arraez on a flyout before Carlos Correa hit into a game-ending double play. Barnes has another month to prove that he still deserves to be in the mix for save chances in 2023.

•Rowan Wick, CHC | RosterResource

Wick’s roller coaster of a season continues. A 1.23 ERA and four saves in 14.2 innings to begin the season was followed by an 8.14 ERA, 0 saves, and five losses over his next 21 innings. He bounced back with 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings, including three more saves, before hitting another rough patch with seven earned runs and four homers allowed over his next 5.1 innings.

During that latest string of bad outings, Brandon Hughes picked up three saves and appeared to be pulling away from Wick in the closer’s battle. But Wick apparently still had the trust of manager David Ross, who gave the 29-year-old a chance to close out a win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. He did the job, pitching a scoreless 9th in a 7-5 win to pick up his 9th save. He’ll continue to be in the mix for save chances in September.

•Jimmy Herget, LAA | RosterResource

In the week following the trade of Raisel Iglesias, the trio of Herget, Ryan Tepera, and José Quijada each picked up a save in what was shaping up to be a closer committee. But, not unexpectedly, save chances were rare as the Angels went on a 3-10 run soon after. If the committee was intact, it was difficult to know. But winning five of the last six games has given us a pretty good indication because Herget has picked up all three of the team’s saves.

The 28-year-old finished a 2-0 shutout win against the Blue Jays on Saturday and then closed out one-run wins over the Yankees on Monday and Wednesday. After walking Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to start the 9th inning on Wednsday, he struck out Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres before retiring Oswaldo Cabrera on a flyout to end the game. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Tepera and Quijada were still given save chances in September, but Herget appears to be the preferred choice of manager Phil Nevin.

•Josh Hader, SDP | RosterResource

The Padres aren’t likely using a closer committee at the moment, but I wouldn’t exactly call Hader’s save on Wednesday an outlier. Nick Martinez has proven to be a valuable reliever, able to pitch multiple innings and has made an impressive transition from being a starting pitcher for much of the season to someone who can now pitch back-to-back days. He wasn’t available on Wednesday, however, after picking up three saves in four days, leaving Padres’ manager Bob Melvin with a tough decision to make with his team clinging to a 5-4 lead heading into the 9th inning.

There were multiple non-Hader options. Luis García, who retired the final batter in the 8th inning on six pitches, could’ve returned for the 9th. Robert Suarez was rested. With two lefties due up for the Giants, Tim Hill would’ve made sense. But, regardless of how badly Hader had pitched since he was acquired, it had become evident over the past two games that the Padres really need him to figure things out if they have a chance of holding on to a playoff spot. They took a four-run lead into the 8th inning on Monday and Tuesday. And their relief corps barely held on for one-run victories both times. Wins are wins. But it also felt as though the bullpen might not have what it takes to hold up for another month. As a result, Melvin made a call on Wednesday that could’ve been a complete disaster or one that got Hader back on track.

Facing the bottom of the Giants’ order, the four-time All-Star threw 12 straight fastballs to start the inning. The result was a bloop single, flyout, and a strikeout. On pitch 13, he threw a slider for ball one to Austin Wynns. It wasn’t close to the strike zone and I have no idea if he could throw it anywhere close to where he wanted. But it didn’t matter on this day. The next pitch was a 98 MPH fastball that Wynns hit weakly in the air to right field to end the game. It was Hader’s 30th save, but first with his new team. More importantly, the Padres head into an important weekend series against the Dodgers feeling a little better about Hader’s chances of recording meaningful outs.

 

Losing A Grip

•Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource

With only two blown saves in 25 chances and a 3.64 ERA, Soto hasn’t been a major cause of the Tigers’ disappointing season. But he’s had his share of disastrous outings, mostly in non-save situations. Pitching with a one-run deficit in the 9th inning of Wednesday’s game against the Mariners, the lefty allowed a run on a single and three walks. It’s a huge cause for concern, maybe not so much for the remainder of this season, but heading into the offseason when a new general manager must decide if the Tigers need to find a more reliable closer.

Over the team’s final 32 games, it could be a good opportunity to see if the team’s one-time “closer of the future”, Joe Jiménez, is still capable of succeeding in that role that he once held. With a scoreless inning on Wednesday, the 27-year-old lowered his ERA to 3.16 on the season. Since June 17, he’s allowed only seven earned runs in 28 innings with five walks and 40 strikeouts.

 

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.