Bullpen Report: September 18, 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.

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

•Edwin Díaz, NYM: 3 consecutive days; 29 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource

Miguel Castro is a likely candidate for a save chance on Friday.

•Diego Castillo, TBR: 34 pitches on Thursday. | RosterResource
•Pete Fairbanks, TBR: Back-to-back days; 27 pitches on Thursday.

Nick Anderson is always the most likely candidate for a save chance, but that would especially be the case on a day when the team’s next best options probably aren’t available.

 

Injury News

•None

 

Outlier Saves

•Brooks Raley, HOU | RosterResource

Ryan Pressly wasn’t available after pitching back-to-back days and Josh James was called on to get five outs in the seventh and eighth inning to send the Astros to the ninth with a 2-1 lead over the Rangers. With lefties Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor coming up to bat, the Astros went with the 32-year-old Raley, who pitched a 1-2-3 inning for his first MLB career save.

Raley is now holding left-handed hitters to a .148 batting average (4-for-27) on the season. If Blake Taylor returns from the Injured List, as is expected in the next few days, the Astros will have two dependable left-handers in their bullpen down the stretch.

 

Committee Clarity

•Sam Selman, SFG | RosterResource

Selman’s performance in 2020 has been overshadowed by fellow lefties Tony Watson (0.60 ERA, 2 Sv, 8 Hld) and Jarlin García (0.00 ERA, 5 Hld), but the 29-year-old has proven to be one of the team’s most reliable middle relievers. On Thursday, he got a chance to close out a 6-4 win over the Mariners. He hit a batter and walked another, but retired Kyle Lewis and Kyle Seager on flyouts to center field to end the game.

Left-handed batters are only 1-24 versus Selman, a former 2nd round pick of the Kansas City Royals who signed a minor league contract with the Giants prior to the 2019 season.

 

Losing A Grip

•Brandon Workman, PHI | RosterResource

In the September 11 edition of Bullpen Report, I listed Workman in this section while noting that he hadn’t been terrible, just that he had struggled at times while Héctor Neris had really turned things around. At the least, Workman’s role was going to be reduced to at least a share of the closer’s role. If that was still the case, it’s probably not anymore after Thursday’s game.

In to pitch with the game tied at six versus the Mets, the 32-year-old Workman gave up a leadoff homer to Brandon Nimmo and an RBI triple to Dominic Smith before he was removed from a game that the Phillies eventually lost 10-6. Not only is he no longer likely to close, Workman has also fallen behind at least a few options in the setup man hierarchy.