Erik Swanson had FOUR SV+HLD’s this past week to lead all relievers. He had 5 K’s and allowed just 1 hit over those four innings of work. Swanson gave us a little bit of a scare a few weeks ago when he allowed 6 runs over 2.2 IP while showing diminished velocity but he has settled down nicely since then, allowing just one hit and two walks over his past 7.2 innings while striking out 10. He remains one of the top set-up men in baseball and his league-leading 16 holds suggest as much.
Notes
- A.J. Puk returned to the Marlins bullpen this week and while he has not recorded a save yet, he should be expected to resume closer duties as soon as this weekend. He worked the ninth inning with a five-run lead on Wednesday, striking out the side while allowing just one baserunner. Puk’s return hurts Dylan Floro’s value a bit as well as the other lefties in this bullpen, but not a whole lot.
- Evan Phillips, the Dodgers “closer”, has not picked up a save since May 12th, and instead has 4 holds since then. He did have 5 consecutive saves prior to this between April 30th and May 12th, and he has pitched well for the most part (outside of this week). So who has been getting the Dodgers saves since May 12th? Caleb Ferguson has 2 and Brusdar Graterol 1. Daniel Hudson has started his rehab assignment and could be a very interesting speculative add in most leagues.
- Giovanny Gallegos has been acting as the Cardinals de facto closer over the past month or so, but a string of poor outings has bumped his ERA to 3.70 for the season, and over his last 16 innings he now holds a 5.63 ERA, and 1.44 WHIP with just a 17% K rate. Ryan Helsley has pitched much better over that span (2.30, .89, 32.3% K), and despite only having 5 SV+HLD’s to Gallegos’s 9, I still prefer to roster Helsley.
- The Rockies closer picture has gotten murkier by the day, and while it looks like Justin Lawrence may be the new favorite for saves, there’s still plenty of uncertainty here. With this being the Rockies, I suggest avoiding the bullpen at all costs, but if you have to roster one, go with Lawrence for now.
And if you want more daily reliever updates, please check out our Reliever Ranks series.
Injured List
| PITCHER | TIER | INJURY (SURGERY DATE). NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Fairbanks | 2/3 | Hip. Throwing today and could return to the team next week. |
| Daniel Hudson | 4/5 | Knee. Began rehab assignment and could be back by July. |
| John Schreiber | 4/5 | Lat. Throwing again, but still no timetable. |
| Jonathan Loáisiga | 5/6 | Elbow. Underwent surgery and will be out until August. |
| Robert Suarez | 5/6 | Elbow. 60-day IL now, could return after the All-Star break |
| Matt Moore | 5/6 | Oblique. No timetable for return, but it could be a while. |
| Joe Mantiply | 5/6 | Hamstring. Started rehab and could return within a week. |
| Matt Bush | 6/7 | Shoulder. No recent updates on his shoulder injury |
| Ian Hamilton | 7 | Groin. Resuming mound work, could return in June. |
| Codi Heuer | 7 | TJS (3/7/22). Should begin a rehab assignment soon. |
Just curious why you would rank Carlos Estevez so low? His overall numbers have been quite good. Is it the team he plays for or his arsenal? Vargas rule?
Comping Barlow to someone quite a bit lower like Adam, what puts Barlow above here for you? Worse team, 1/3 of the way through has far inferior numbers etc.