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 will take the field today; MIA and ATL are recovering from a doubleheader on Saturday.
- Monday features a heavier slate than most with 26 teams in action. BOS, PIT, STL and COL are the only teams with off days.
- MIL: Trevor Gott was placed on the 15-day IL (forearm); reliever Peter Strzelecki was recalled in a subsequent move.
- MIA: Tommy Nance was activated from the 15-day IL (groin)
- KC: Joel Payamps was placed on the bereavement list; Carlos Hernández was recalled in a subsequent move.
- COL: Alex Colomé was placed on the 15-day IL (elbow); the Rockies called up Justin Lawrence from Triple-A for Saturday doubleheader depth.
- BOS: Jeruys Familia had his contract purchased from the minors; the reliever with former closer experience has over nine years of MLB service.
- CLE: The Guardians expect to reinstate James Karinchak from the injured list today.
ATL 5 – MIA 2 (Game 1)
ATL: Three relievers saw action in this contest; Jackson Stephens (1 IP, H, 1 H, 0 R), Raisel Iglesias (1 IP, H, 1 H, 0 R), and Kenley Jansen (1 IP, SV, 0 H, 0 R) slammed the door shut. Jansen surpassed the 20-pitch mark, so there was limited closer experience for Game 2 unless Iglesias were to pitch again in Game 2 (hint).
MIA: The Marlins bullpen pitched with at least a two-run deficit for this whole contest. Jeff Brigham (2 IP, 2 H, 0 R) did a great job preserving the bullpen on a doubleheader day, but Richard Bleier (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) nearly pushed Atlanta’s save opportunity off the board. Elieser Hernandez (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K) finished off the Marlins’ pitching line, leaving Tanner Scott and Anthony Bender ready to go for Game 2 if needed.
ATL 6 – MIA 2 (Game 2)
ATL: Raisel Iglesias (2/3 IP, SV, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB) wasn’t slated to pitch a second appearance on Saturday, but two walks by Kirby Yates (1/3 IP, 3 BF) could have caused some late-inning damage. Dylan Lee (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K) was the only other Atlanta reliever to toss in this one, and the Braves will likely look to A.J. Minter for some form of high-leverage work if needed today.
MIA: Starter Tommy Nance only pitched three innings (1 R), leaving a bulk of work for A.J. Ladwig in long relief (3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R). Miami followed up with Huascar Brazoban (1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R) but he also threw 51 pitches to Ladwig’s 41. Anthony Bender (2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) had a clean appearance, although not the high leverage he is accustomed to. Dylan Floro (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) did the same, getting his work in after a 17-pitch hold on Thursday. Tanner Scott recovered from 39 pitches on Thursday, and could still be down for Sunday action.
TOR 2 – CLE 1
TOR: The Blue Jays threw the gauntlet at the Guardians on Saturday, so expect to see some other names like David Phelps or Trevor Richards in high leverage today if needed. Jordan Romano (1 1/3 IP, SV, 1 H, 0 R) tossed 21 pitches for his 26th save of the year, while Yimi García (2/3 IP, H, 1 H, 0 R) and Anthony Bass (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) served as the bridge to get there. Adam Cimber (2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and Zach Pop (2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R) also pitched, doing so on back-to-back days.
CLE: One reliever was needed in this one after starter Triston McKenzie. Enyel De Los Santos (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R) tossed 16 pitches, ensuring that closer Emmanuel Clase is extremely rested after back-to-back saves on Tuesday and Wednesday. Setup man Trevor Stephan also hasn’t pitched since Thursday, so the Guardians are in good shape as they finish off this series with Toronto today.
TB 8 – BAL 2
TB: Not the highest-leverage contest, but still a great showing by the Tampa Bay bullpen: Colin Poche (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Pete Fairbanks (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R), and Jimmy Yacabonis (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) pitched a clean three innings in relief, all facing four batters a piece. The Rays have a well-rested Jason Adam and Brooks Raley good to go for today, each rested up since Wednesday.
BAL: Bullpen work for Baltimore began with a 5-2 deficit; it stayed that way through Bryan Baker’s strong frame (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K), but turned sour when long relief took over. Spenser Watkins (3 IP, 6 H, 3 R) did eat a big chunk of innings, however. Louis Head (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) tossed the final out, while closer Félix Bautista and setup man Dillon Tate have not pitched since Tuesday.
CHC 7 – CIN 2
CHC: After the unusual Friday off day after their trip to Dyersville, the Cubs had a chance to rest up their arms after throwing their top three options. Saturday featured Sean Newcomb (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R) first, followed by Brandon Hughes (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) throwing the same number of pitches (21) that he did in Iowa. Erich Uelmen (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R) finished out the game in a non-save situation, ensuring that closer Rowan Wick saw plenty of rest after back-to-back saves on Wednesday and Thursday.
CIN: Ian Gibaut (2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R) was first in relief but quickly pushed the run score into low-leverage territory. Luis Cessa (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) did his best to preserve the contest, but Ross Detwiler (1 IP, 1 H 1 R) pushed the deficit to five before Cincinnati’s nine innings were up. Hunter Strickland, Alexis Díaz, and Joel Kuhnel each haven’t thrown since Thursday, so the Reds bullpen can go to work as needed this afternoon.
WSH 4 – SD 3
WSH: It took the A-list for the Nationals to get it done on Saturday; Carl Edwards Jr. (1 IP, SV, 1 H, 0 R), Steve Cishek (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R), Hunter Harvey (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and Kyle Finnegan (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) got the job done on 64 combined pitches. They were able to limit the damage from five combined walks (with none of them scoring!), so this contest could have been even more intense.
SD: Luis García (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Adrian Morejon (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R) kept the Padres in this one after four runs allowed by starter Yu Darvish (6 IP). Closer Josh Hader continues to recover after 37 pitches on Tuesday, so today could be his day again after four days of rest.
LAD 13 – KC 3
LAD: In a particularly low-leverage contest, the Angels were able to work plenty of arms while resting their top ones. Caleb Ferguson (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Chris Martin (1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R), Phil Bickford (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Reyes Moronta (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Hanser Alberto (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) kept arms like Craig Kimbrel, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia on the shelf; that top trio hasn’t pitched since Wednesday and the Dodgers just keep winning.
KC: The Royals worked Carlos Hernández (3 IP, 3 H, 3 R) for a bulk of innings after falling behind 8-2 in the first three innings, so he did wonders to preserve arms like Josh Staumont and Scott Barlow. The Royals then turned to Wyatt Mills (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R) for 30 pitches, and to preserve the bullpen even further, infielder Nicky Lopez (1 IP, 3 H, 2 R) had a rather forgettable ninth inning with two homers allowed.
HOU 8 – OAK 0
HOU: Six shutout frames by Lance McCullers Jr. paved the way for a rather easy Houston victory. Phil Maton (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R) and Bryan Abreu (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R) finished this one up in a pretty dominant fashion, a good sign for Houston after working Héctor Neris, Ryne Stanek, and Will Smith on Friday.
OAK: After trailing 6-0, the A’s handed the ball to Domingo Tapia (1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R) and some additional damage ensued. Kirby Snead (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) cleaned up the final inning of pitching with a strong showing, while Zach Jackson and Dany Jiménez rested up and should be ready to go for today’s season finale. Neither has thrown since Wednesday.
NYM 1 – PHI 0
NYM: Jacob deGrom did his thing on Saturday: six innings, no runs, 10 punchouts. He turned the ball over to Seth Lugo (1 IP, H, 1 H, 0 R) and Trevor May (1 IP, H, 0 H, 0 R), paving the way for the trumpeting welcome of Edwin Díaz (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and his 27th save of the year. Díaz did walk two batters, however, so this one-run contest came with serious late-inning business.
PHI: No bullpen necessary: Aaron Nola went the distance, carving through eight innings but taking a tough-luck loss.
CWS 6 – DET 4
CWS: Two innings in relief polished this one off for the White Sox: Reynaldo Lòpez (1 IP, H, 1 H, 0 R) bridged to Liam Hendriks (1 IP, SV, 1 H, 0 R) for his 25th save of the year (earning his 24th on Friday). Hendriks could be down today, but given his previous workloads, he could very well be eying number 26 today too. Joe Kelly hasn’t pitched since Thursday and will presumably fit into that mix if needed.
DET: Joe Jiménez took the loss in short relief (2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R), and the deficit grew to two with Andrew Chafin (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) allowing a solo home run. The Detroit bullpen was otherwise clean with Will Vest (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and José Cisnero (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R), and Gregory Soto remains in the wings after back-to-back appearances on Wednesday and Thursday.
TEX 7 – SEA 4
TEX: In one of the heaviest bullpen operations of the day, Texas used four top arms to seal a three-run victory. Jonathan Hernández (1 IP, SV, 0 H, 0 R) earned his third save of the season, doing so after Matt Moore (1 IP, H, 0 H, 0 R), Brock Burke (2 IP, H, 2 H, 1 R) and Brett Martin (2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) got him there. Hernández and Moore have now thrown extensively on back-to-back days while Burke threw 40 pitches on Saturday, so it could be José Leclerc fitting into high leverage work today.
SEA: Penn Murfee (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and Chris Flexen (2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER) nearly pushed Texas’ save off the table. Seattle can look to closer Paul Sewald as needed today, as he hasn’t pitched since Wednesday. Diego Castillo also hasn’t pitched in the past three days, but setup man Andrés Muñoz could be on the shelf again after his 28 pitches on Friday.
NYY 3 – BOS 2
NYY: In one of the most dominant performances of the day, the New York team of four relievers pitched a combined four innings of shutout, three-hit work. Lucas Luetge (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R), and Lou Trivino (2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R) tossed first, followed by Aroldis Chapman (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) taking the mound as the Yankees took the lead. This allowed Scott Effross (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R) to earn his second save of the year, pitching on back-to-back days while normal closer Clay Holmes recovered after a 20-pitch blown save on Friday. Effross made a statement in this contest, perhaps putting Holmes on a little bit of a hot seat.
BOS: Three innings of relief were thrown by a team of Hirokazu Sawamura (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and John Schreiber (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R); Schreiber was credited with the loss but also managed four punchouts in his 10 batters faced. Garrett Whitlock recovered after 27 pitches on Friday, Matt Barnes did the same after 24 two days ago, and Austin Davis could find himself in high-leverage work today after throwing six pitches or fewer on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each.
MIL 3 – STL 2
MIL: The Hader-less Brewers got it done on Saturday with Matt Bush (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER) earning his third save of the year. Devin Williams was put in setup duty, tossing a clean eighth (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R). Taylor Rogers threw 18 pitches (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and the Milwaukee bullpen could realistically turn to any of those three again today. Rogers’ 18 pitches was the most of the trio.
STL: Adam Wainwright took a no-decision for the ages, going nine innings and allowing a single run. Giovanny Gallegos allowed the extra-inning runner and another to score (1 IP, 1 H, 2 R/1 ER), as Ryan Helsley was not available after 29 pitches on Friday. Helsley might be good to go today if needed, and the Cardinals can breathe a little easier with an impending off day on Monday.
ARI 6 – COL 0
ARI: Two of the three in Arizona’s closer committee took the mound on Saturday; Ian Kennedy (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Joe Mantiply (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) recorded the final four outs. Noé Ramirez (2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) was the only other reliever used, and the three finished up the shutout for the seven innings started by Zac Gallen. This was quite the Coors Field showing. Mark Melancon could be tasked with a save situation in his home state of Colorado today, having not pitched since Thursday and with his turn in the committee looming.
COL: The Rockies emptied the bullpen tank on Thursday and Friday with top relievers, so a four-run deficit was handed to lower-leverage arms on Saturday. Jake Bird (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER) did a relatively good job preserving the bullpen, while Robert Stephenson (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) finished up the evening. Daniel Bard should be good to go today after not pitching since 30 throws on Thursday.
SF 2 – PIT 0
SF: Logan Webb dominated his way through eight shutout innings, leaving just one for closer Camilo Doval (1 IP, SV, 0 H, 0 R) to finish this one off. It was Doval’s second save in as many days, so the Giants may turn to either Dominic Leone or John Brebbia for a save this afternoon if needed.
PIT: Five scoreless relief innings were thrown by Pirates pitchers, an unsung statement for a team of three relievers. Eric Stout (1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Duane Underwood Jr. (1 1/2 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and Chase De Jong (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R) faced five more than the minimum. Closer Wil Crowe has not pitched since Wednesday, and other relievers like Manny Bañuelos and Colin Holderman could be tasked with a close ballgame today if needed.
LAA 5 – MIN 3
LAA: 10 total relievers were used in this contest, so hold on if you’re tuning in today for the series finale. The Angels tossed Ryan Tepara (1 IP, W, 0 R, 0 H), José Quijada (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R), Jimmy Herget (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Aaron Loup (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and Jesse Chavez (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R) in this battle of a contest. Andrew Wantz could be a high-leverage arm by default today, while Tepara’s 12 pitches on Saturday reason him the freshest available for back-to-back work. The Angels will imaginably love themselves a deep start this afternoon, as will the Twins.
MIN: The Twins already pitched Jorge López, Jhoan Duran and Michael Fulmer on Friday, and appearances by López on Saturday (1 IP, BS, 2 H, 2 R) alongside Duran (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R) turned a little sour. Emilio Pagán was credited with a loss in extras (1 IP, 1 H, 2 R/1 ER), while the best relief appearances on the day came early from Caleb Thielbar (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R) and Griffin Jax (2/3 IP 1 H, 0 R). Michael Fulmer could be the necessary arm for tight situations today, but even he has thrown 29 pitches in the past four days (two appearances).
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
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)