September 2, 2015
Kansas City Royals — It was reported on Tuesday that Kelvin Herrera and Alex Rios both have chickenpox and will miss at least two weeks, which is bad news for the Royals and bad news for Herrera owners who were hoping for some late-season holds. Franklin Morales had two holds in Tampa last weekend, and more importantly, escaped virus-free. We’ll slide him into Herrera’s spot for now.
Updated hierarchy: Holland | Davis | Morales.
Arizona Diamondbacks – With Brad Ziegler nursing a sore ankle and needing a day off after back-to-back poor outings, two different Diamondbacks earned a save as Arizona swept a doubleheader. Not surprisingly, Daniel Hudson closed out the first game. However, Josh Collmenter, who earned his first hold of the year in the opening tilt, pitched the final two innings of the nightcap for his second career save. David Hernandez had pitched in three of the last four days prior to Tuesday, but perhaps the 7th inning has become more crowded in Arizona, especially with the September call-up of Enrique Burgos.
Hierarchy remains: Ziegler | Hudson | Hernandez.
Detroit Tigers – Bruce Rondon hadn’t seen a save opportunity since Aug. 15, but he made the most of his chance on Tuesday, throwing a scoreless ninth to preserve a 6-5 win. It was his third save in four chances, and it came at a good time considering his last outing was a disaster during a game the Tigers were already losing. Despite Rondon’s recent struggles, it appears as if the closer’s job is still his for the time being.
Hierarchy remains: *Rondon | Wilson | Hardy.
* = closer-by-committee
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Daniel Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks – Brad Ziegler may get an extra day of rest, as manager Chip Hale was concerned about his fatigue following 52 pitches over a two-day span.
2. Aaron Sanchez, Toronto Blue Jays – Roberto Osuna may get a breather after a 27-pitch blown save on Tuesday.
