Bullpen Report: September 5, 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.
- 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.
- Injury News
- Outlier Saves: Explanation for a non-closer earning a save during the previous day.
- Committee Clarity: Notes on a closer committee that clarify a pitcher’s standing in the group.
- Losing A Grip: Struggling closers who could be on the hot seat.
- 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
•Hunter Harvey, BAL: 20 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
If the Orioles do decide to use Harvey in back-to-back games this season, it likely won’t be after he throws 20 pitches. Tanner Scott could get a save chance on Saturday.
•Matt Barnes, BOS: 3 consecutive days; 12 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Austin Brice and Ryan Brasier are candidates for a save chance on Saturday.
•Raisel Iglesias, CIN: 3 of last 4 days; 18 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Archie Bradley is the most likely candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Alex Colomé, CHW: 40 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Evan Marshall is a candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Kenley Jansen, LAD: 21 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Blake Treinen is the most likely candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Aroldis Chapman, NYY: Back-to-back days; 3 of last 4 days; 20 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Adam Ottavino, who didn’t pitch in Friday’s double-header, could get a save chance on Saturday.
•Richard Rodríguez, PIT: Back-to-back days; 3 of last 4 days; 12 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Kyle Crick is a candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Yoshihisa Hirano, SEA: 30 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Joey Gerber is a candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Nick Anderson, TBR: 22 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
The Rays might not want to push Anderson after he threw 22 pitches in his first game back from the 10-Day IL. Diego Castillo could be the leading candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
•Daniel Hudson, WSN: Back-to-back days; 16 pitches on Friday. | RosterResource
Sean Doolittle is a candidate for a save chance on Saturday.
Injury News
•Nick Anderson, TBR: Activated from 10-Day IL. | RosterResource
In his first game back in action after a 15-day stint on the Injured List, Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth to secure a 5-4 win over the Marlins and pick up his fourth save. Pete Fairbanks pitched the seventh and Castillo had the eighth in what might’ve been the Rays’ most predictable bullpen usage of the season.
Outlier Saves
•Cesar Valdez, BAL | RosterResource
After using six relievers in game one of Friday’s double-header, a nine-inning loss to the Yankees, Valdez was the lone reliever used to close out a 6-3 win in game two and pick up his first career MLB save. The 35-year-old pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in seven innings.
•Chad Green, NYY | RosterResource
In game one of Friday’s double-header, Zack Britton and Chapman pitched the sixth and seventh innings in a 4-4 tie. When the Yankees took the lead in the top of the ninth, it was Green who closed things out in the bottom half for his first save of 2020. The 29-year-old has four career saves.
Committee Clarity
•Kevin Ginkel, ARI | RosterResource
The same pitcher, Ginkel, has gotten both save chances for the Diamondbacks since Bradley was traded away. And this is despite him blowing the first chance against the Dodgers on Wednesday. On Friday, he pitched a scoreless inning to close out a 6-5 win over the Giants. You can draw your own conclusions, but manager Torey Lovullo appears to trust the 26-year-old Ginkel.
•Jeremy Jeffress, CHC | RosterResource
With Craig Kimbrel likely having pitched himself out of the closer’s mix for now, it’s going to be either Jeffress or Rowan Wick in save situations for the Cubs. On Friday, it was Jeffress who got the call in the ninth after Wick pitched a scoreless eighth with the Cubs ahead 4-1 over the Cardinals. The 32-year-old pitched a scoreless inning (BB, K) to earn his fifth save of the season. Jeffress has four saves in his last six appearances while Wick has three holds and no saves in his last five appearances.
•Gregory Soto, DET | RosterResource
In his first appearance since picking up saves on back-to-back days last weekend, Soto could not hold a 2-1 lead over the Twins on Friday. After walking the first two batters of the inning, the 25-year-old lefty allowed a game-tying single to Jorge Polanco and was removed with nobody out. It’s likely that the Tigers’ closer committee wasn’t going to take shape had Soto succeeded for a third consecutive time. Now, it could be someone else’s turn the next time a save situation arises.
Losing A Grip
•Ty Buttrey, LAA | RosterResource
Prior to Friday’s game, manager Joe Maddon said that Buttrey and Felix Peña would share the closer’s role. With Peña likely unavailable after pitching back-to-back days, Buttrey got a chance to close out a 5-2 lead over the Astros. He allowed a single and double to start the inning. One scored on a passed ball and the other on a groundout. After giving up a one-out single, he was removed for Matt Andriese, who allowed a game-tying double t0 Kyle Tucker.
There aren’t many games left and the Angels aren’t likely to be ahead very often. Even if Buttrey remains a co-closer, he might not get many more save chances. Peña, in the meantime, has a chance to take hold of the job heading into the offseason.
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.
K. Graveman might be in the mix for saves soon for Seattle.
Yep. Worth keeping an eye on how often they use him. I doubt they’ll use him on back-to-back days right away.
makes sense,,,maybe more likely to be an occasional 2-inning save guy than the designated guy this year….pitched the 8th today with a 2 run lead. I see Gravamen as a possible closer candidate for 2021, with hirano presumably gone, so was wondering if they’d try out Graveman now, especially since saves are not an arbitration issue in his case.