Bullpen Report: September 13, 2020

The 2020 version of Bullpen Report includes six 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.
6. Reliever On The Rise: Non-closer who is quickly moving up the depth chart based on potential and recent performance.

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

•Mark Melancon, ATL: 3 consecutive days; 21 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

Shane Greene has also pitched three straight days, so Chris Martin could be the most likely candidate for a save chance on Sunday.

•Greg Holland, KCR: Back-to-back days; 4 of last 5 days; 16 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

The Royals’ late-inning alternatives to Holland, including Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow, and Jesse Hahn, have also had heavy workloads over the past few days. It’s possible that Holland is available again on Sunday.

•Josh Hader, MIL: Back-to-back days; 26 pitches on Saturday. | RosterResource

If Hader isn’t available on Sunday, Devin Williams is the most likely candidate for a save chance.

 

Injury News

•Wade Davis, COL: Activated from 10-Day IL. | RosterResource

Since Davis went on the Injured List early in the season, Daniel Bard has taken over as the Rockies’ closer and does not seem like he’ll be giving it up anytime soon. But given the shaky state of the Rockies’ bullpen outside of Bard, the return of Davis could help. Of course, he’ll have to prove that he can be trusted in a high-leverage role. Based on Saturday’s game, manager Bud Black isn’t in a hurry to use him with the game on the line. He went with four different relievers not named Wade Davis with the game tied at two from the seventh inning until they lost to the Angels in the 11th inning.

•Tanner Rainey, WSN: Unavailable due to forearm tightness. | RosterResource

I mentioned Daniel Hudson in yesterday’s “Losing A Grip” section with Rainey as a logical candidate to get an early audition for the team’s closer job for 2021. But it sounds like a very slim possibility at this point.

Tanner Rainey has a tight forearm and is going to take a few days off. The Nationals got an MRI, it was negative and Dave Martinez says he thinks Rainey is just tired right now.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) September 12, 2020

 

Outlier Saves

•Matt Andriese, LAA | RosterResource

The Angels’ co-closers Felix Peña and Ty Buttrey, as well as “should-be closer” Mike Mayers had already pitched when the Angels took a 5-2 lead over the Rockies in the top of the 11th inning. Andriese retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the 11th to close out the victory and pick up his first save of 2020.

 

Committee Clarity

•Craig Kimbrel and Jeremy Jeffress, CHC | RosterResource

Jeffress had pitched three of four days, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Kimbrel get the call in the ninth with the Cubs leading the Brewers by two runs. He didn’t make things easy, of course, allowing back-to-back singles to start the inning, but he retired the next three batters to secure the win and pick up his second save.

Since Kimbrel seemingly pitched himself out of the closer committee after a terrible outing on August 29, Jeffress has been the Cubs’ primary closer with Rowan Wick working as a setup man. But during that time, Kimbrel had pitched four consecutive scoreless outings with no walks and eight strikeouts. Therefore, his fifth consecutive scoreless outing that resulted in a save on Saturday could have much more significance than “he was just giving Jeffress a day off.”

The 32-year-old has not allowed a run in ten of his last 11 appearances, making it very likely that he’s back in manager David Ross’ circle of trust. If that’s the case, expect more save chances going forward.

•Brandon Workman and Héctor Neris, PHI | RosterResource

In his first appearance since I mentioned that he could be in danger of losing the closer’s job to Neris, Workman was, in fact, used in a non-save situation. With the Phillies up 7-4 in the seventh, Workman was brought in with a man on second and one out. That inherited runner eventually scored on an infield single. After the Phillies extended their lead to 12-5 in the top of the eighth, Workman allowed a leadoff homer in the bottom of the eighth and was removed after a one-out single.

There was no save situation in the ninth, but it’s likely that Neris would’ve gotten the call if there was.

Brandon Workman is taking over for JoJo Romero in the seventh inning. Joe Girardi hinted before the game that he could mix things up tonight. Workman had been closing.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 13, 2020

The question is whether “mix things up” was meant for Saturday’s game only or if there would be a closer committee going forward. After another shaky outing from Workman, however, it might not matter what Joe Girardi had in mind. He might just give the job back to Neris now.

•Diego Castillo and Nick Anderson, TBR | RosterResource

Nothing too out of the ordinary for the Rays as of late. On most days, either Anderson or Castillo will be the closer. On Saturday versus the Red Sox, Anderson pitched a scoreless eighth with the team up 5-4. Castillo closed things out in the ninth (2 K) for his fourth save of the season.

•Rafael Dolis and Anthony Bass, TOR | RosterResource

The return of Ken Giles and how soon he can regain his job as the closer has been the big story surrounding the Blue Jays’ bullpen over the past few days. In the meantime, Dolis has quietly appeared to surpass Bass as the current closer. The 32-year-old picked up his fourth save on Saturday in a 3-2 win over the Mets. He lowered his ERA to 1.69 and has not allowed an earned run over his last 13.2 innings pitched.

The possibility that Giles could take the job back from Bass was realistic. Taking it back from Dolis? Maybe not so much.

 

Losing A Grip

•None

 

Reliever On The Rise

Early in the season, picking out a “Reliever On The Rise” was a simple task with several options to choose from each day. Not so much over the last few weeks, though. Most of the breakout relievers have already been identified. As a result, this section will highlight a pitcher or two only once per week through the end of the season.