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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings – 8/28/24 Depth Chart

Breakdowns of key bullpen usage from yesterday's slate of games.

Scott McDermott
Fantasy 8/28/2024

Welcome back to the latest edition of our Reliever Ranks series! This will bring you up-to-date bullpen depth charts every morning for the day’s games and makes for an excellent tool for those looking to stream saves or wins. This series runs seven days a week, so check in every morning to get your daily bullpen fix!

 

Notes

 

Transactions and Schedule

 

  • It was a full slate of games on Tuesday, but some pop-up storms caused havoc in the upper Midwest (the Rangers-White Sox game went into a delay after four pitches and was later suspended).  Wednesday is also a full schedule with games starting at 12:35 EST.
  • The Giants put long-reliever Jordan Hicks on the 15-day IL and recalled reliever Austin Warren.  Warren has a 10.76 FIP though, so don’t exactly rush to the waiver wire.
  • Boston is calling up the 44-year-old Rich Hill, who will wear number 44 and make his season debut this week.  Hill’s only made one appearance for AAA Worcester but that was apparently good enough for Boston (he struck out two and allowed zero hits).  Lucas Sims was placed on the IL with a lat strain in a corresponding move.
  • After putting Nick Lodolo on the IL with a finger issue, the Reds called up righty Casey Legumina.  Legumina’s had a 3.27 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in AAA Louisville this year, striking out 52 in as many innings.

 

Yesterday’s Performances

NYY 2 – WSH 4

SV:  Kyle Finnegan (33)

HD: Jose A. Ferrer (1)

  • Patrick Corbin has the worst ERA of any starter in the Majors and Gerrit Cole won the Cy Young last year, so naturally one would give up back-to-back homers and the other would…shut out the Yankees in six dominant innings?
  • The Yankees did manage a run in the eighth after Aaron Judge grounded into a double play with the bases loaded (an outcome Washington would take any day of the week).
  • That meant a Save situation for Kyle Finnegan, who came in to retire Stanton and finish out the eighth, then came back in the ninth with a three-run lead.  That lead would shrink with Jazz Chisholm Jr. scoring after a leadoff double, and then a pair of hits by Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo meant real trouble.
  • Finnegan’s been shaky for a while, with a 5.08 ERA in his last 30 appearances, but battled to get D.J. Lemahieu out on a fly ball to right, then did the same to Gleyber Torres.  The Nats escape with the win.

 

OAK 5 – CIN 4

SV: Mason Miller (22)

L: Tony Santillan (1-2)

HD: Ross Stripling (1)

  • The Reds had been blanking Oakland in a bullpen game started by Jacob Junis, but the A’s logged three homers in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 4-run lead.
  • Cincy clawed back slightly with a run in the bottom of the eighth but left the bases loaded after Ross Stripling (newly designated to the ‘pen) got Noelvi Marte to ground out to third.
  • After Oakland couldn’t manage anything in the top of the ninth, it was MILLER TIME.  He’d face the top of the Reds order and strike out Jonathan India on a 101-mph fastball but things went sideways from there.
  • Elly de la Cruz then drove a pitch the opposite way for a hit and a red-hot Tyler Stephenson singled to put on the tying run.  After a grounder to third brought Elly home, Spencer Steer hit a low lob that dropped in center and scored Stephenson.
  • Ty France kept the magic going with a 2-out double, putting the tying run ninety feet away.  But that’s when Miller decided to dial things up.  Facing new Red Amed Rosario, Miller reached back to hit 102 and struck Rosario out swinging.

 

SDP 7 – STL 5

W: Yuki Matsui (4-2)

HD: Jeremiah Estrada (12), Jason Adam (22)

SV: Tanner Scott (20)

  • In a game with multiple lead changes, the Padres put in Jason Adam in the eighth up by one.  Adam gave up a hit but struck out the other three batters he faced and San Diego rewarded him with an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
  • Both Robert Suarez and Tanner Scott have pitched the last two games, but with Suarez throwing 19 pitches the night before it was Scott’s turn.  He got a pair of grounders for two quick outs before the Cardinals subbed in Nolan Arenado.
  • Arenado tattooed a couple of LONG foul balls before pulling a grounder that bounced off third base.  Manny Machado turned in a web gem to beat Arenado by a step and end the ball game.
  • This marks Scott’s second Save with San Diego, but he’ll likely see only a handful of chances the rest of the way with Robert Suarez having such a stellar year.  Scott has a 3.09 ERA and 1.29 WHIP since being traded, but his ratios should improve from there.

 

ATL 8 – MIN 6

W: Raisel Iglesias (4-1)

L: Jhoan Duran (6-8)

  • Atlanta’s pitchers, starting with Spencer Schwellenbach, jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and looked like they might shut out the Twins.  But Minnesota got to the 41-year-old Jesse Chavez for three runs and then tied the game with a couple of doubles off Joe Jiménez.
  • That left Griffin Jax to keep the Braves from scoring in the top of the ninth, and Jax turned in a perfect 10-pitch inning with a K.
  • After being called upon to finish the eighth, Raisel Iglesias returned in the ninth and was just as solid, surrendering just one hit and striking out Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner.
  • Into extras we would go, and the Twins answered Iglesias with their own closer.  But Jhoan Duran is sometimes known to blow up, especially in non-Save situations (see the eight losses).  He wasn’t helped by an Edouard Julien misplay, but before Duran’s night was over he’d give up four hits, four runs (three earned), and only get one out.  Caleb Thielbar had to come on and bail him out.
  • Now up four in the bottom of the tenth, the Braves opted for Piers Johnson, who’s been more than decent his last few outings (he got a four-pitch Save on Saturday).  But Johnson would allow the ghost runner to score on a Jose Miranda single and then Willi Castro made things interesting with another hit.  Trevor Larnach then sat on a curveball and drove a liner to right field, so we had first-and-third with two outs.
  • Matt Wallner had a chance at redemption, but he’d go down swinging on a nasty curve and the Twins would lose again, making that seven of their last nine games.

 

SFG 5 – MIL 4

W: Camilo Doval (5-1)

HD: Landen Roupp (1), Tyler Rogers (28)

SV: Ryan Walker (4)

  • This was another back-and-forth game as the Giants and Brewers traded runs all night.
  • In his second game back from a ‘figure-things-out’ stint in the minors, Camilo Doval worked the sixth in relief of Logan Webb.  Doval still doesn’t look sharp and he walked two and gave up a hit to load the bases.  He got two strikeouts when needed, though, to escape the jam.
  • Joel Payamps would lose the lead again for the Brewers in the next frame on a two-run homer by Mike Yastrzemski, which put Doval in line for the unlikely relief win.  The rest of the Giants’ core relievers were sharp, with Tyler Rogers again looking solid and Ryan Walker getting his fourth save after taking over for Doval.
  • Walker should hold this job the rest of the way given how he’s pitching, lowering his ERA to 1.95 and striking out 33.6% of the batters he’s facing (he’ll likely top 100 K’s on the season).  A Willy Adames single was his only mistake of the night.

 

MIA 9 – COL 8

W: George Soriano (1-1)

L: Angel Chivilli (1-2)

SV: Calvin Faucher (4)

  • The Rockies put in their acting closer in Tyler Kinley with an 8-4 lead, feeling confident.  But he’d load the bases and Jake Burger would miss a homer by about a foot with a double off the wall and suddenly it was an 8-6 score with no one out.
  • Colorado manager Bud Black pulled Kinley and subbed in Angel Chivilli, which did not go well.  A first-pitch changeup to Jesus Sanchez was turned on for a three-run bomb and turned the game upside down.  With the stadium in shell-shock, Chivilli got the next three batters out in order but the damage was done.
  • The Marlins traded their best relievers at the deadline but Calvin Faucher has been adequate, and he’d take advantage of three Rockies hitters who were clearly reeling.  Faucher struck them out in order and sealed the heartbreak in Denver.

 

MIA 9 – COL 8

W: George Soriano (1-1)

L: Angel Chivilli (1-2)

SV: Calvin Faucher (4)

  • The Rockies put in their acting closer in Tyler Kinley with an 8-4 lead, feeling confident.  But he’d load the bases and Jake Burger would miss a homer by about a foot with a double off the wall and suddenly it was an 8-6 score with no one out.

HD: Colin Poche (17), Garrett Cleavinger (11), Kevin Kelly (14)

  • Seattle and Tampa were scoreless after six as both starters (Jeffrey Springs and Logan Gilbert) looked brilliant with a combined 19 K’s.
  • The Rays then took the lead off a two-run blast by Jose Siri off Chargois, and another Yandy Díaz solo homer in the eighth would seal it.
  • Edwin Uceta has been the closer in most situations for Tampa, but the Rays are in something of a committee so he was called upon in the sixth inning.  Uceta struck out the side but gave up an unearned run on 25 pitches.
  • Former Cub Manuel Rodríguez used his 97-mph sinker to solid effect in the closer’s role, striking out a batter and allowing only a single in locking down the one-run Save.

 

BAL 3 – LAD 2

W: Matt Bowman (1-0)

SV: Seranthony Domínguez (7)

HD: Cionel Pérez (18), Yennier Cano (31)

  • Dominguez took the ninth with a 3-2 O’s lead, and while it took 32 pitches to finally take down the Dodgers he got the job done.  It was a sloppier effort than usual with two baserunners allowed and a lot of full counts, but a win is a win.  Look for Dominguez to likely have Wednesday off, though.

 

The best of the rest…

  • With two outs and two on in a 6-2 game, Jason Foley relieved Shelby Miller to get a vulture Save (his 18th).  It took four pitches to coerce a ground-out from Jo Adell and Foley’s night was done.
  • Up four runs, Kenley Jansen allowed a solo shot to Daulton Varsho but surrendered no other damage to finish off the Blue Jays, 6-3.  The BoSox essentially had a bullpen game with starter Cooper Criswell only going 3.1 innings.
  • Up 9-3 in the ninth, the Cubs figured Daniel Palencia could finish things off.  But he’d give up a two-out walk, a double, and a single to make it 9-5.  The Cubs then asked Porter Hodge to get the final out.  Hodge looks great this season and is cementing his role as the closer with a 1.97 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, but up four with a runner on first was not eligible for a Save.

 

Bullpen Depth Charts

 

 

Also, if you’re looking for a detailed list or ranking of RPs, check out Rick Graham’s weekly pieces:

The Hold Up: Ranking the Top 100 Relievers for Holds Every Thursday

Closing Time: Ranking the Top 30 Closers

Top 100 Relievers for Save+Hold Leagues

 

Scott McDermott

Scott lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, two daughters, and a couple of furballs. When he’s not dissecting box scores and pondering over the optimal starting lineup for the Cincinnati Reds, he covers fantasy baseball for Pitcher List. He’s also the author of the award-winning book series 'Election 2064', available on Amazon.

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