Bullpen Report: September 10, 2022

The 2022 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

•Ryan Pressly, HOU: 22 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

The Astros may be careful with Pressly in his return from the IL, so Rafael Montero or Héctor Neris could get a save chance Saturday.

•A.J. Puk, OAK: 27 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource

Domingo Acevedo should be available to close on Saturday if needed.

•Brandon Hughes, CHC: 21 pitches on Friday; 18 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource

Co-closer Rowan Wick should be available on Saturday.

Injury News

•Ryan Pressly, HOU: Activated from the 15-day IL (neck spasms) on Friday. | RosterResource

Rafael Montero pitched well with Pressly out, going five-for-five in save chances and allowed just two earned runs in seven innings (plus one unearned). But it’s Pressly’s job, and the Astros are surely thrilled to have his 32.2% strikeout rate back in the bullpen, even if he wasn’t quite at his sharpest on Friday.

Outlier Saves

•Dillon Tate, BAL | RosterResource

Félix Bautista has been fatigued since his two-inning save on Tuesday, so the Orioles elected to give him one more day off, hoping to have him back on Saturday. With The Mountain unavailable, Tate took the game to the house after coming on in a jam with two outs in the eighth, getting the last four outs of the game on just 15 pitches, lowering his ERA to 2.66. For Tate, a very key reliever in Baltimore’s bullpen, it was his fourth save of the season.

•Shawn Armstrong, TBR | RosterResource

It’s not often the Rays have an Outlier Save, with so many members in their closing committee at any one time. Nonetheless, they got one on Friday, with Armstrong relieving JT Chargois (who also would have been an Outlier) with two outs in the ninth against Gleyber Torres, inducing a fly out on the second pitch he threw for his second save of the year.

Armstrong’s 4.59 ERA doesn’t tell the whole story—he began his year with the Marlins, getting crushed to the tune of ten runs in 6.2 innings. Since rejoining the Rays, his ERA is 3.65, making him a very useful member of Kevin Cash’s relief corps.

•Nick Nelson, PHI | RosterResource

Closer David Robertson has been shaky and inefficient in September, allowing four runs (three earned) in 3.2 innings, throwing a staggering 86 pitches in his three appearances. And so, he was given Friday off, with Brad Hand the first to take a crack at the save chance. But after two straight two-out hits, Rob Thomson pulled the plug on the lefty Hand and went for the platoon advantage with Nelson against righty Riley Adams. Adams hit into a force out on Nelson’s third pitch, earning him his first career save.

Nelson’s been more of a bridge reliever than anything this season, with 61.1 innings in just 39 appearances, so he’s not likely to earn any more saves the rest of the season on account of that and his 4.55 ERA. Seranthony Domínguez could be back as soon as Saturday and help Robertson out in the ninth, too.

Committee Clarity

•None

Losing A Grip

•None