Brad Boxberger leaves debut with injury; Alex Colome will close again

June 1, 2016

Tampa Bay Rays — Brad Boxberger’s return to major league action didn’t go quite the way he’d hoped. After quickly retiring two batters in the sixth inning, Boxberger gave up a single and a home run, then grabbed his left abdomen on a pitch that hit the next batter. He was immediately diagnosed with a side muscle strain and the prognosis didn’t look any better after the game. Boxberger seems likely to return to the DL — where he’d been ever since adductor surgery in March. Hope you hung on to Alex Colome.

Updated hierarchy: Colome | Cedeno | Ramirez.

Atlanta Braves — Atlanta’s youth movement continues, as the Braves have decided to pay 39-year-old Jason Grilli to pitch in another country. The team does expect to get Jim Johnson back from the DL this Friday, and Shae Simmons’s return from Tommy John surgery shouldn’t be far behind. Until then, Alexi Ogando and Hunter Cervenka will protect Atlanta’s theoretical late-game leads.

Updated hierarchy: Vizcaino | Cervenka | Ogando.

Toronto Blue Jays — Unhappy with the performance of their middle relievers, the Blue Jays traded for veteran Jason Grilli on Tuesday. We’ll leave the Toronto hierarchy intact for now, but it sounds like Grilli will get a chance to pitch some high-leverage innings.

Hierarchy remains: Osuna | Floyd | Biagini.

San Diego Padres — Forget the presidential race; the surest sign of the apocalypse might just be that it’s June and Fernando Rodney still hasn’t allowed an earned run. By this point last year, he had 16, good for an 8.18 ERA. Anyway, if Rodney weren’t dominating, he might need to look over his shoulder — his right shoulder, of course — at catcher Christian Bethancourt, who came in on Tuesday and mixed a 96 mph fastball with a heart-stopping 53 mph eephus.

Hierarchy remains: Rodney | Buchter | Maurer.

Los Angeles Angels — Huston Street picked up where he left off, mowing down three straight batters in a tied ninth inning. Joe Smith surprisingly did not appear in the game, but he was tired, not hurt.

Hierarchy remains: Street | Smith | Salas.

New York Mets — Some guy named Noah Syndergaard earned his first regular-season hold for the Mets last night, breaking 100 mph on 9 of his 17 pitches. But let’s be honest; he’s no Jim Henderson.

Hierarchy remains: Familia | Reed | Henderson.

Oakland A’s — John Axford picked up his first save with the A’s; Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson had each been used in two straight games. Every member of the “special” Oakland hierarchy has earned a save in the last three days.

Hierarchy remains: Madson | Doolittle | Axford.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. David Phelps, Miami Marlins — A.J. Ramos needed 32 pitches to get Tuesday’s save.
2. Ken Giles, Houston Astros — Luke Gregerson has pitched on three of the last four days (51 pitches).
3. Shawn Kelley, Washington Nationals — Jonathan Papelbon hasn’t thrown a lot of pitches, but he has been used in three straight games.

Red Sox shut down Junichi Tazawa; Brad Boxberger is tired

September 16, 2015

Boston Red Sox – Manager Torey Lovullo announced after Tuesday’s game that Junichi Tazawa will be shut down for the remainder of the season, not based on a injury but rather his workload. For now, Alexi Ogando will slide into the hierarchy, though for Boston’s sake anybody else will pitch with a lead.

Updated hierarchy: *Ross | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

Tampa Bay Rays – As predicted in the Vulture Save Watch, a pooped Brad Boxberger got the night off, but it was Brandon Gomes who earned his first career save. Alex Colome pitched the 8th, but he faced the 3-4-5 hitters in the Yankees’ order. Colome is the man if Boxberger is unavailable, but by virtue of Tuesday’s save and Xavier Cedeno’s battle with left side tightness, Gomes slides into the Rays’ hierarchy..

Updated hierarchy: Boxberger | Colome | Gomes.

Los Angeles Angels — Huston Street was still fighting flu-like symptoms on Tuesday, so Joe Smith picked up the vulture save. Manager Mike Scioscia expects Street, who was ralphing in the bullpen on Sunday, to be back on Wednesday.

Hierarchy remains: Street | Smith | Gott.

Colorado Rockies — In a 16-inning affair that saw the Rockies use a major league record 13 pitchers, it was Gonzalez Germen who eventually got the save. He may not factor into Colorado’s late-inning plans, but he certainly factors into their late-late-inning plans.

Hierarchy remains: Axford | Diaz | Miller.

Cincinnati Reds — After Aroldis Chapman was unable to secure a five-out save and the Reds reclaimed their lead in the 10th, Jumbo Diaz shut the door for his first career save. It was Chapman’s third blown save of the season, and his first after walking a pinch-hitting World Series MVP pitcher.

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Hoover | Diaz.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Brad Brach/Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton and Darren O’Day have each pitched three straight days, and while Brach has pitched in back-to-back games, he may be more well-rested. If Buck Showalter, who is willing to do whatever it takes keep his team in the Wild Card race, wants to save Brach as well, someone like Brian Matusz may get a look.
2. J.J. Hoover, Cincinnati Reds – Aroldis Chapman threw 42 pitches on Tuesday.
3. Alex Wilson, Detroit Tigers – Bruce Rondon has hurled 35 pitches over the last two games.

Sean Doolittle struggles in first outing; Tom Wilhelmsen closes in Seattle

August 24, 2015

New York Mets – Hansel Robles pitched the ninth inning in a 4-run game on Sunday, which is more relevant than usual since Terry Collins was treating almost any lead as a save situation in the Mets’ first two games at Coors Field — Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia had both pitched in 5-run games on Friday and Saturday. Robles has earned the trust of Collins as of late, and going forward, look for him to share the 7th inning with Logan Verrett, who earned a prominent place in the bullpen after his masterful spot start yesterday.

Updated hierarchy: Familia | Clippard | Robles.

Oakland A’s – Our initial prognostications were accurate, as Bob Melvin said shortly after Sean Doolittle’s activation that he expects the lefty to win the closer job back. But Doolittle got off to a rocky start yesterday, as his first outing was a 7th-inning appearance that saw him give up a lead. We still think he’s the favorite to emerge from this committee, but other relievers could get save opportunities until he gains his footing.

Hierarchy remains: *Doolittle | Pomeranz | Venditte.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa had a horrific outing on Sunday afternoon, allowing seven baserunners and four earned runs in a blown save against the Royals. The biggest thing Tazawa has going for him right now is a lack of competition, but even so, he’s allowed 9 earned runs in his last 8 innings pitched, and isn’t striking out hitters at anywhere close to the rate he was earlier this season. The committee is very much alive in Boston.

Hierarchy remains: Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals – Ned Yost wanted to give Greg Holland the day off on Sunday, so Wade Davis picked up his 11th save of the year after the Royals rallied against Junichi Tazawa. If there is even a single middle reliever owned in your league, it should be Davis.

Hierarchy remains: Holland | Davis | Herrera.

Minnesota Twins – Tommy Milone picked up his first save of the season in a 12-inning game against the Orioles on Sunday. He does not factor in to the Twins usual late-inning plans.

Hierarchy remains: Perkins | Jepsen | May.

Seattle Mariners – The wholesale changes in the Mariners bullpen didn’t end with DFA’ing Fernando Rodney and demoting Danny Farquhar. They also seem to have removed Carson Smith from the closer role — he finished the 7th and then stayed on for the 8th inning tonight, leaving the 9th to Tom Wilhelmsen. Wilhelmsen closed for the Mariners in 2012 and 2013, and appears to be the stopper once again in Seattle going forward.

Updated hierarchy: Wilhelmsen | Smith | Olmos.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Jean Machi/Alexi Ogando, Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa could get a night off to clear his head after his disastrous outing on Sunday.

Jake McGee out for the year; Glen Perkins out for five more days

August 21, 2015

Tampa Bay Rays — Sometimes-closer Jake McGee has a torn meniscus and will miss the rest of the season after knee surgery. Xavier Cedeno and Steve Geltz will be Tampa’s next line of defense behind a shaky but secure Brad Boxberger (four blown saves, nine losses).

Updated hierarchy: Boxberger | Cedeno | Geltz.

Minnesota Twins – Glen Perkins received a cortisone shot on Wednesday and hopes to play catch before the weekend. If all goes well, Perkins could be back by next Tuesday; until then, Minnesota will split save opportunities between Kevin Jepsen and Trevor May.

Updated hierarchy: Perkins | Jepsen | May.

Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa earned his second save in as many days on Thursday night and appears to be interim manager Torey Lovullo’s first choice in the ninth inning. Taz hasn’t had a great month (5 ER in 7 IP), but he’s definitely Boston’s best remaining bullpen arm, if only by default. Ryan Cook has been pitching like Taylor Swift, and has the 19.89 ERA to prove it. John Farrell may have considered him an alternate closer option, but it doesn’t seem like Lovullo does.

Updated hierarchy: *Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.

Colorado Rockies — The resurgent John Axford earned his first save since July 10 after shutting down the Nationals Thursday night. What’s more remarkable is that Axford had four blown saves (and three wins) in between his two most recent converted attempts. Scott Oberg pitched the eighth inning ahead of the Ax Man, and has two holds over the last week.

Updated hierarchy: Axford | Kahnle | Oberg.

Cincinnati Reds — Aroldis Chapman has a stiff left shoulder that has left him unavailable since Tuesday. JJ Hoover, Jumbo Diaz, and Burke Badenhop (in that order) will become more relevant in the late innings as long as Aroldis is ailing.

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Hoover | Diaz.

Houston Astros — Reliever Josh Fields (0.95 WHIP, 2.20 ERA) was sent down to Double-A for the crime of having options. The Astros needed “a jolt of freshness” in their bullpen after playing three extra-inning games out of five and using six relievers on Wednesday, so they called up rookie Vince Velasquez. Fields cannot return to the team for the next 10 days, unless someone gets hurt, which takes him to September 1 roster expansion anyway. For now, we’ll move Will Harris to second in line. He has six holds and a fine K rate, and nailed down a save earlier this month.

Updated hierarchy: Gregerson | Neshek | Harris.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Kevin Jepsen/Trevor May, Minnesota Twins – Jepsen or May will get the next save chance for the Twins.
2. Mike Dunn, Miami Marlins — A.J. Ramos is young, but he’s also pitched in 4 of the last 5 days, and his arm isn’t made of rubber. Look for Mike Dunn to pitch in a pinch if needed in the 9th on Friday.
3. Jean Machi, Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa has pitched in two straight games (25 pitches), and if the Red Sox still consider this a committee, Jean Machi may get the next save chance.
4. Alex Wilson, Detroit Tigers — Gone are Joe Nathan and Joakim Soria. In their place is a lot of uncertainty. Will it be Bruce Rondon in a save chance Friday night? We think so, but keep an eye on Alex Wilson (1.80 ERA, 2 saves).
5. Edward Mujica, Oakland A’s — Until Sean Doolittle returns early next week, Drew Pomeranz is currently the man at the front of the Oakland committee. Keep an eye on Edward Mujica, who holds that “valuable closer experience” card.

Junichi Tazawa will close after Koji Uehara injury

August 7, 2015

Boston Red Sox – On the last pitch of the night, Koji Uehara was drilled in the right arm by a line drive and was walked off the field by a trainer. He still converted the save, as he was able to make the play at first, but given how much pain he was in, he’s likely to miss some time, meaning Junichi Tazawa will likely handle the closer role until Uehara is healthy again.

UPDATE: Uehara reportedly does not have a broken bone. Continue to check back for updates.

Updated hierarchy: Tazawa | Ross | Ogando.