Bullpen Report: September 10, 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.

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).

Notable Workloads

•Andrew Chafin, OAK: 13 pitches on Thursday; 22 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Co-closers Sergio Romo and Jake Diekman should both be available on Friday.

•Carlos Estévez, COL: 19 pitches on Thursday; 26 pitches on Wednesday. | RosterResource

Daniel Bard and Jhoulys Chacín are the top options to get a save chance on Friday if Estévez has a day off.

•Ian Kennedy, PHI: 27 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource

José Alvarado, Héctor Neris and Archie Bradley could substitute for Kennedy on Friday—if he’s even still the closer (more on that under Losing A Grip).

Injury News

•None

Outlier Saves

•None

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•Ian Kennedy, PHI | RosterResource

Blowups for a closer are bound to happen from time-to-time, but they’ve happened two of the eight times Kennedy has been handed a save chance as a Phillie, which is a simply unacceptably high rate. Thursday’s loss was particularly crushing, as Kennedy retired the first two batters he faced before allowing a single and then back-to-back home runs. The former Ranger has now allowed six home runs in just fourteen appearances since being acquired, one more than he allowed in 32 appearances for Texas.

Further loosening Kennedy’s grip is the reemergence of the enigmatic Héctor Neris, who pitched a scoreless eighth on Thursday, with two strikeouts to boot. Since a disastrous six-run outing on July 4th, Neris has pitched to a sterling 1.23 ERA. Take out that one appearance and Neris’ seasonal ERA drops by almost a full run, from 3.26 to 2.40. He’s got 12 saves on the season, and at this rate he’ll finish with more than those dozen.

Click HERE to view the full Closer Depth Chart.