Bullpen Report: September 9, 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

•Kevin Ginkel, ARI: 31 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Junior Guerra is a likely candidate for a save chance on Wednesday.

•Matt Barnes, BOS: 26 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

If Barnes is unavailable on Wednesday, Ryan Brasier is a likely candidate for a save chance.

•Kenley Jansen, LAD: 31 pitches on Tuesday. | RosterResource

Blake Treinen is a likely candidate for a save chance on Wednesday.

 

Injury News

•Corey Knebel, MIL: Recalled from alternate site. | RosterResource

Knebel won’t be immediately thrown into a high-leverage role after missing several weeks, but he has some time to give the Brewers a reason to tender him a contract this offseason. On Tuesday, he retired the Tigers in order on seven pitches with his team trailing 8-0 in the eighth inning.

Prior to suffering a hamstring injury that sent him to the Injured List, the 28-year-old had allowed seven earned runs and 11 hits in 6.2 innings and did not look anywhere close to his pre-Tommy John surgery form.

 

Outlier Saves

•Marcus Walden, BOS | RosterResource

With Barnes unavailable after blowing a save in game one of Tuesday’s double-header, the Red Sox turned to Austin Brice with a 5-2 lead in the seventh inning of game two. But Brice walked two of the first three Phillies’ batters and was replaced by Walden, who got Jean Segura and Rhys Hoskins to line out and end the game for his first save. The 31-year-old has four career saves in three seasons with Boston, although he’s having an awful 2020 (11.1 IP, 12 ER).

 

Committee Clarity

•Jeremy Jeffress, CHC | RosterResource

The Cubs’ bullpen has been very good as of late with several pitchers proving to be reliable options for manager David Ross. But Jeffress appears to have separated himself from Rowan Wick and could be the team’s primary closing option for now.

Ross said yesterday he feels like he's found a rhythm with Jeffress, Kimbrel, Wick, Tepera, Underwood, etc, for mixing and matching w/o anyone labeled "closer."

Did say: "JJ's probably the guy that's going to be on the back end for a little bit."

Jeffress in for save in 9th.

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 9, 2020

After a scoreless inning on Tuesday to close out a 3-0 shutout over the Reds, Jeffress has six saves on the season and five in his last seven appearances. While his strikeout (12) and walk (8) totals are unimpressive, the 32-year-old has allowed only two earned runs in 17 innings.

•Scott Barlow, KCR | RosterResource

During a string of seven consecutive losses, it’s been impossible to figure out if the Royals would be going strictly with Greg Holland as the closer or if they’d use a committee. There was finally some clarity on Tuesday. With the game tied at five versus the Indians, Holland was called on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. He retired six consecutive batters, including three strikeouts, before handing off an 8-5 lead to Barlow in the ninth. The 27-year-old allowed a run on two hits, but closed out the win for his second save.

•Rafael Dolis, TOR | RosterResource

Anthony Bass threw 15 pitches on Monday and had also pitched three of the last four days, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that Dolis was called on to close out a 2-1 win over the Yankees on Tuesday. But as good as Dolis has been in 2020 — the 32-year-old has a 1.77 ERA with three saves, seven holds, and 24 strikeouts in 20.1 innings — and as shaky as Bass has been lately, it’s starting to feel like a co-closer situation that could turn into a committee if Ken Giles returns from the Injured List.

 

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.