Reliever Ranks – 6/26

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

 

Transaction and Schedule Notes

 

• All 30 teams are back in action today, while 12 teams will have Monday off (ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, DET, HOU, MIL, NYM, PHI, SD, SF, TB).
• Minnesota and Cleveland will anticipate a doubleheader on Tuesday. They will not have Sunday or Monday off leading up to it.

 

• PHI: Middle reliever Connor Brogdon was also placed on the COVID-IL. The Phillies filled his spot with Mark Appel, the first-overall pick in the 2013 draft. Appel is anticipating his MLB debut (capping off a tremendous comeback).
• LAD: Daniel Hudson was placed on the injured list and will reportedly miss the remainder of the 2022 season. (His initial comeback was incredible too, which makes this injury all the more agonizing.)
• STL: Middle reliever Génesis Cabrera was placed on the 15-day COVID-IL on Saturday. Jake Woodford was recalled in a subsequent move.
• MIL: Trevor Gott and Jandel Gustave were both activated from the 15-day IL, helping to bolster the Milwaukee bullpen with a combined six years of service time.

 

Yesterday’s Performances

 

HOU 3- NYY 0

• First things first: No hitter! Houston starter Cristian Javier tossed the first seven frames, while the final six outs were recorded by Héctor Neris (1 IP, 16th hold) and Ryan Pressly (1 IP, 15th save). Seven innings by a starter helped the Astros bullpen recover after serious use on both Wednesday and Thursday. Ryne Stanek could be used in Sunday save situations given the workloads of other A-list relievers.
• New York’s bullpen allowed a combined two runs over two innings, immediately following a one-run, seven-inning performance by Gerrit Cole. The eighth inning was covered by Michael King, allowing a run on a walk and one hit, lifting his ERA to a 2.52. Lucas Luetge tossed the ninth, allowing three hits and two walks but escaping a jam with just one run of damage.

 

TB 6 – PIT 5

• Tampa Bay tossed 3 2/3 relief innings on Saturday and a pre-ninth-inning blown save was credited to Jalen Beeks. He allowed three runs on two hits and two walks, lifting his ERA to a 2.59. The Rays would regain the lead, however, with Ralph Garza Jr. earning Saturdays win with two innings of one-hit action. Tampa Bay used many of their relievers on Friday, so Garza’s two innings were huge in preserving a core that is now ready for today’s action. Virtually all of their top relievers have made at least three pitching appearances this week.
• Pittsburgh’s bullpen was their sore spot on Saturday, allowing three runs and five hits of damage over 2 2/3 frames — and allowing a loss in walk-off fashion. Wil Crowe earned his hold (fifth of 2022) with a shutout seventh (2 K), while Chase De Jong snaked a hold (first of 2022) with a one-run, one-walk, two-hit eighth. David Bednar would then make arguably his worst appearance of 2022, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks. Bednar’s ERA jumped to a 1.78, which goes to show just how good his momentum has been.

 

BAL 6 – CWS 2

• Baltimore’s bullpen shut down the White Sox for four innings. Only one hold was given — for Bryan Baker’s scoreless sixth — but the Orioles still saw great work from rookie Nick Vespi, tossing a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts and lowering his ERA to a 0.79 (11 1/3 IP). Dillon Tate followed with two innings of one-run work, raising his ERA to a 2.02 but sealing a four-run victory.
• Manager Tony La Russa rode his starter Lance Lynn into the seventh inning, pulling him with two outs recorded. The Orioles would score four of their six runs in that seventh frame, all of those runs credited to Lynn. Inherited runners aside, the White Sox bullpen combined for 2 1/3 innings of shutout work. José Ruiz tallied four outs and allowed two hits, while rookie Tanner Banks tossed a scoreless ninth and worked around one hit. With Liam Hendriks remaining on the IL, the White Sox still have the services of Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly available. Neither have thrown since at least Tuesday.

 

STL 5 – CHC 3

• St. Louis rode six innings from Miles Mikolas but their bullpen could not seal his win, as Giovanny Gallegos blew a save after allowing two runs on three hits (1 1/3 IP). Gallegos was then followed by Ryan Helsley, tossing 1 2/3 frames and lowering his ERA to a 0.31 through 28 2/3 total innings. A two-run eighth inning by the Cardinals offense gave Helsley a win where he would have otherwise earned a save. Helsley and Gallegos hadn’t pitched since Tuesday entering action on Saturday, so they could both be in line for more appearances today.
• The Cubs’ bullpen allowed a combined three runs over three innings. Rowan Wick recorded just one out and allowed two hits and a walk, while Scott Effross hooked up Wick big time with two strikeouts to end the frame. A 3-3 tie was then handed to Mark Leiter Jr. but four hits of damage would ensue. He allowed the decisive two runs and lifted his ERA to a 6.04 (22 1/3 IP). Setup man Mychal Givens has not thrown since Wednesday, and closer David Robertson made three consecutive appearances from Tuesday through Thursday. This might mean Givens is the save candidate for today, or at the very least a great hold option.

 

TEX 3 – WSH 2

• More walk-off action in Texas: the Rangers set the table with a shutout ninth by closer Joe Barlow and two innings of shutout work by Matt Moore. Each have ERA’s in the twos, but the lowest reliever ERA in the whole game — Brock Burke’s 1.30 — yielded the most damage. Burke allowed three hits and two runs in the sixth inning and was credited with a blown save. Texas exercised an opener with Brett Martin, working around a two-walk, one-hit jam in a scoreless first.
• Washington saw seven innings of two-run work by starter Josiah Gray, but it was a solo home run allowed by Kyle Finnegan that proved decisive. The home run came on Finnegan’s first batter of the game; after throwing 21 pitches on Friday, it is unlikely we will see him in Sunday action. Carl Edwards Jr. set the table for a scoreless eighth, allowing one hit and lowering his ERA to a 2.52. Tanner Rainey threw 22 pitches on Friday and was not used on Saturday, so he is in prime save territory for today’s action.

 

MIN 6 – COL 0

• Minnesota starter Chris Archer allowed a single hit in the first four innings of his Saturday start. The shutout was preserved by Jharel Cotton (1 IP), Griffin Jax (1 IP) and Tyler Thornburg (2 IP), and a combined four innings of no-hit work sealed a Twins victory. Most notable was Jax’s three-up, three-down, strike-out-the-side frame, lowering his ERA to a 2.80.
• Colorado turned to their bullpen in the sixth inning and saw great work out of Jhoulys Chacín, regaining some footing with a shutout frame. He was then followed by Carlos Estévez and a rocky seventh inning ensued; Estévez allowed two runs on two hits and a walk, pushing his ERA further north of five. Recent call-up Jake Bird tossed a scoreless ninth with a walk, keeping his ERA at 0.00 (through 5 IP). Daniel Bard should be primed for a save today after a 14-pitch save on Friday. As the Rockies adjust to a bullpen without Tyler Kinley, today could be a day for arms like Robert Stevenson and Lucas Gilbreath to prove themselves. Neither have thrown since Wednesday.

 

DET 6 – ARI 3

• Detroit needed15 outs out of their Saturday bullpen and they did it in tremendous fashion. Starter Alex Faedo tossed four innings and yielded a win to the Tigers’ first reliever, Tyler Alexander. His two innings of one-hit work set the tone for three innings of one-hit action to follow. Joe Jiménez and Michael Fulmer each tossed a scoreless inning and earned a hold, while closer Gregory Soto earned save number 14 with two strikeouts, lowering his ERA to a 2.67.
• Arizona was able to carve through 2 2/3 frames of relief, but the firs 1 1/3 innings of relief action were decisive. Even more surprising: all relief damage came off Arizona’s normally-red-hot Joe Mantiply. He allowed three hits and three earned runs in that 1 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 1.29. Noe Ramirez, Kyle Nelson and Mark Melancon would finish the game with a combined one hit allowed (2 2/3 IP). With that bullpen use, Ian Kennedy could be in prime condition to land a hold or save today.

 

OAK 9 – KC 7

• Oakland sealed a two-run victory but it wasn’t easy. A.J. Puk was first in relief, tossing 1 1/3 innings but allowing two hits and one run. This week has been rocky for Puk, but his ERA remains at a 2.12. Zach Jackson scored himself a win with a scoreless seventh, but a three-run eighth off Sam Moll (now a 2.53 ERA) kept things interesting. Lou Trivino tossed the final two frames and worked around two hits, striking out three and chipping away at his 7.52 ERA (20 1/3 IP).
• Kansas City tossed a combined five relievers in Saturday action, working 5 1/3 combined innings and allowing four earned runs. Damage was primarily held on Royals starter Brad Keller, allowing five runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Daniel Mengden and Dylan Coleman were the only relievers with an ERA below five; they tossed a combined three innings. Mengden allowed one run on four hits (2 IP) while Coleman tossed a one-run ninth. Josh Staumont is now heavily rested, having not pitched since Tuesday. Closer Scott Barlow tossed 22 pitches on Friday but should otherwise be ready for Sunday work.

 

NYM 5 – MIA 3

• Mets starter Chris Bassitt carved through seven innings of three-run work, while two innings remained for the Mets bullpen. Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz each threw a frame; Lugo collected hold number 11 with a perfect eighth, while Díaz tossed a perfect ninth (and struck out the side!) for save number 16. The two relievers tossed a combined 33 pitches and they could be a call for ‘if needed’ saves and holds today. Adam Ottavino could be the most prime option, however, having thrown just 11 pitches on Friday.
• Marlins starter Trevor Rogers was unable to complete five innings on Saturday, falling two outs shy and allowing three earned runs. Miami would roll out a team of five relievers for the final 4 2/3 frames, allowing a combined two runs on four hits with six punchouts. Dylan Floro was a top performer, tossing a perfect sixth and lowering his ERA to a 4.76. Anthony Bass continued his strong 2022, tossing a scoreless seventh and pushing his ERA to a 1.80.

 

MIL 5 – TOR 4

• Milwaukee saw 7 2/3 innings out of starter Corbin Burnes and it didn’t take long for their bullpen to shut it down. Devin Williams capped off the eighth with a strikeout, while Josh Hader earned save number 22. It wasn’t without turbulence, however; Hader allowed a run on two hits and lifted his ERA to a (still tremendous) 1.19.
• Toronto needed six innings in relief after starter Yusei Kikuchi allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits in two innings. Trent Thornton tossed the third and fourth, striking out three and lowering his ERA to a 3.45. Long relief duty would ensue: Max Castillo tossed four innings in just his second big-league appearance. He struck out seven and allowed one hit, which could be telling for some serious future plans. Keep an eye on Castillo, although he will likely be down until at least Wednesday.

 

BOS 4 – CLE 2

• Holds were rampant across the Boston bullpen; Jake Diekman, John Schreiber Matt Strahm claimed one with a combined 2 2/3 innings of one-hit, shutout work. Schreiber lowered his ERA to a 0.79 through 22 2/3 innings of work. Tanner Houck pitched on back-to-back days after tossing seven pitches on Friday; his 21 pitches on Saturday sealed his sixth save of the year.
• Cleveland needed just two relief inning after Shane Bieber tossed seven innings (3 ER). Trevor Stephan pitched the eighth inning and allowed two hits and a walk, but posted his zero and chipped away at a now-3.38 ERA. Enyel De Los Santos threw a 21-pitch appearance in the ninth, walking two and allowing two hits. His one run allowed lifted his ERA to a 2.91. Closer Emmanuel Clase has not pitched since Wednesday, while setup man Eli Morgan has not thrown since Tuesday.

 

SF 9 – CIN 2

 

• There was little late-inning leverage in the Giants’ seven-run victory; and early 6-1 lead gave plenty of cushion for three innings of relief. San Francisco had plenty of bullpen options after some good rest late in the week. They turned to Tyler Rogers for a perfect, 10-pitch seventh, followed by two innings by Sam Long (3 H, 1 R). The Giants can enter today’s action with Camilo Doval and Dominic Leone on even more rest; neither have thrown since Tuesday.
• Cincinnati trailed 9-1 after six innings, but the final two frames by Reds relievers provided a solid pitching taste. Dauri Moreta and Ross Detweiler each threw an inning, allowing no hits and no runs. With an injured Lucas Sims and Tony Santillan, the Reds are left with a depleted and relatively-taxed relief core for their series finale in San Francisco. Setup man Joel Kuhnel has not pitched since Wednesday, however, so he could be the save/hold candidate for Sunday work.

 

ATL 5 – LAD 3

• Late-inning drama was had in Atlanta on Saturday night. The Braves were able to lock it down with Kenley Jansen’s 20th save of the season, tossing a perfect ninth while striking out the side. A.J. Minter’s eighth inning featured a blown save after two hits and a solo home run, however. Will Smith capped off the one out that kept starter Max Fried from completing seven innings, and a whole bunch of top arms combined for a nine-inning, three run ballgame. 16 strikeouts were had across these four pitchers.
• Saturday was a tough day for the Dodgers to learn of Daniel Hudson’s injury to begin with, but a squandered late-inning lead made it even worse. Brusdar Graterol tossed the final Dodgers pitching fram and allowed two runs on two hits, lifting his ERA above four. Alex Vesia, David Price and Evan Phillips each tossed an inning before that, combining for a shutout performance with four strikeouts. Phillips now has a 1.88 ERA (with a 0.94 WHIP), while Vesia holds a 3.18 and Price a 3.57.

 

SEA 5 – LAA 3

• Seattle worked four relievers on Saturday for a total of 3 1/3 innings — with three holds and a save. Penn Murfee was first in relief, earning his second-career hold with one strikeout. Ryan Borucki and Diego Castillo followed, each tossing an inning and allowing a total of one hit. With a heavily-taxed bullpen core from Wednesday through Friday, the Mariners were without Paul Sewald and Andrés Muñoz in situations they would otherwise be called for. Erik Swanson was the man of the hour in their absence; despite two walks in a tense ninth inning, he shut the door for his first save of 2022. He now holds a 0.93 ERA (19 1/3 IP).
• The tough breaks for the Angels continued on Saturday, this time in the form of heavy unearned runs. Starter Patrick Sandoval allowed one run through the first five innings. Archie Bradley followed in relief for the sixth, allowing three unearned and no earned runs. Two walks by Bradley did not exactly help the cause, however. José Quijada put his ERA at an even 2.70 after allowing a run on two hits, tabbed with a blown save. The Angels were able to preserve their bullpen with 2 1/3 innings from Elvis Peguero to close out the night, which means top relievers like Raisel Iglesias and Ryan Tepera should be ready to go. Neither have pitched since Wednesday at the earliest.

PHI 4 – SD 2

• More holds aplenty: Philadelphia collected three of them along with an additional save. To make it simple: Four perfect innings were recorded, while Andrew Bellatti, Corey Knebel and Brad Hand earned saves. Seranthony Dominguez earned his second save of the year, and it was a good day to wear a Phillies hat in relief. Sunday could run thin on available options, but momentum is running high for a lot of these guys. Perhaps more noteworthy: this heavily-exercised bullpen could get us that much closer to a Mark Appel debut.
• San Diego saw similar lights-out relief fate, but the four runs allowed by starter Blake Snell (5 2/3 IP) proved insurmountable. Steven Wilson and Tim Hill were first in relief; one batter by Wilson was retired and his night was over, while Hill allowed one baserunner in his two innings of work. Craig Stammen tossed the ninth inning and also posted a perfect frame, lowering his now-3.18 ERA.

 

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

The Hold Up 6/23: Ranking the Top 100 Relievers for Holds

Closing Time 6/21: Ranking the Top 40 Closers

Top 100 Relievers for Save+Hold Leagues: 6/17

 

Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)