Jake McGee back in the mix for Tampa; Carson Smith worth watching

May 15, 2015

Tampa Bay Rays — Matt Andriese had a rare four-inning save Thursday night against the Yankees, before getting sent down to make room for the returning Jake McGee. Brad Boxberger (2-1, 1.29 ERA, 10 saves in 10 chances, 12.86 K/9) has been excellent in McGee’s absence, so for now, Kevin Cash will play the matchups. McGee could grab the job for good later this summer, however.

Updated hierarchy: *Boxberger | McGee | Jepsen.
* closer-by-committee

Los Angeles Dodgers — The most volatile bullpen in baseball lived up to its reputation Thursday night, with Yimi Garcia coughing up a three-run homer in a rough 9th inning, blowing the save and taking the loss against the Rockies. Garcia has now allowed five runs in his last two outings, inflating his ERA from 0.63 to 3.38. Pedro Baez was likely next in line before he was placed on the disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle. Manager Don Mattingly said Baez could be out the next few weeks. Kenley Jansen, meanwhile, is healthy at the right time; he’s likely to be activated on Saturday, with a Friday return still possible. Stay tuned.

Updated hierarchy: *Garcia | Hatcher | Howell.
* closer-by-committee

Seattle Mariners — Earlier this week, we learned that setup man Danny Farquhar (5.29 ERA) is trying to figure out what’s gone wrong this season. While he does, rookie Carson Smith continues to impress at the back end of the bullpen, tossing a clean eighth inning ahead of Fernando Rodney on Thursday night. Rodney himself was not so clean, allowing the go-ahead run to take the loss in a 2-1 game. Rodney (5.65 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) has now allowed runs in three of his last four appearances. He’s still the Mariners’ closer, but Smith has earned the right to be next in line if Rodney continues to struggle.

Updated hierarchy: Rodney | Smith | Farquhar.

Boston Red Sox — Rookie Matt Barnes was thrown into a high-leverage situation Thursday night against the Mariners, pitching the eighth inning in a 1-1 game. He picked up the win after Fernando Rodney gave up the go-ahead run, and should continue to see late-inning opportunities moving forward.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Tazawa | Barnes.

Houston Astros — Chad Qualls picked up the save for the Astros Thursday night, as regular closer Luke Gregerson had to miss another game due to a family emergency. Manager A.J. Hinch said Gregerson would be back Friday and shouldn’t need to leave the team again.

Hierarchy remains: Gregerson | Qualls | Neshek.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox
 — Koji Uehara has pitched in four of the last five games and is 40 years old, so Junichi Tazawa could get a look in a save situation.
2. Ken Giles/Luis Garcia, Philadelphia Phillies — Congrats to Jonathan Papelbon, who became the all-time saves leader (113) for the Phillies, passing Jose Mesa. Papelbon is also the all-time leader for the Red Sox (219). Papelbon (34 years old) has pitched in three straight games, though, and may get a night off to celebrate. Ken Giles has also pitched in three straight but he’s only 24 and could still be available. If not, Luis Garcia could possibly get the nod.
3. Jumbo Diaz/J.J. Hoover, Cincinnati Reds — All of the Reds’ top three pitchers have pitched on four out of the last five days. Jumbo Diaz threw only four pitches on Thursday, but if the team digs a little deeper, the chance could go to J.J. Hoover.
4. Chris Hatcher, Los Angeles Dodgers — If Kenley Jansen is not activated, look for Hatcher to get a Friday save opportunity.
5. Jake McGee/Kevin Jepsen, Tampa Bay Rays — It’s a cliche, but manager Kevin Cash will play the matchups, so it’s possible McGee or Jepsen get some action in the ninth.