June 12, 2019
Atlanta Braves – Anthony Swarzak owners owe Mother Nature a tip of the cap, as Swarzak officially earned a save after rain ended Tuesday’s game before the ninth inning began. Luke Jackson was ready to pitch the ninth before the rain halted play and eventually ensured the Braves’ 7-5 win over the Pirates. Meanwhile, the Braves recalled A.J. Minter from the minors prior to Tuesday’s tilt. Brian Snitker said that Jackson will remain the closer but that Minter, who earned a hold on Tuesday, will return to a late-inning role.
Updated hierarchy: Jackson | Swarzak | Minter.
Minnesota Twins — Taylor Rogers was unavailable on Tuesday due to back stiffness, so when the Twins took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, Trevor May came out for the ninth and earned his first save of the season. It’s noteworthy that Blake Parker didn’t feature in Tuesday’s win; it appears Rogers has taken the lead in the hierarchy, since if healthy he would have closed out Tuesday’s win. We’ll monitor how Rocco Baldelli deploys Rogers, Parker and May in the coming days.
Updated hierarchy: *Rogers | Parker | May.
* = closer-by-committee
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox bullpen disappointed yet again in Monday’s loss, and Alex Cora addressed the issue prior to Tuesday’s contest. Matt Barnes is still the most likely candidate for saves at this point, but Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree and Marcus Walden may all get a chance depending on matchups and what Cora wants. Another Sox reliever to watch is Mike Shawaryn, who has been impressive in his three relief appearances this season.
Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee
Oakland A’s — Liam Hendriks struck out the side to earn a hold on Tuesday in Tampa. Hendriks is a better late-inning option than Joakim Soria, who has allowed an earned run in each of his last four appearances.
Updated hierarchy: Treinen | Trivino | Hendriks.
Texas Rangers – Chris Woodward made it official on Tuesday that no one is the closer and Shawn Kelley, Jose Leclerc, Chris Martin and Jesse Chavez could close in any game, though Kelley is likely to remain the preferred choice.
Hierarchy remains: *Kelley | Leclerc | Martin.
* = closer-by-committee
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Nick Wittgren – Brad Hand, reportedly on the Dodgers’ trade radar, threw 26 pitches in two innings of work last night. Cleveland is off on Thursday and Hand hasn’t been overworked lately, but he still has a chance to sit out today’s game.
2. Blake Parker – Taylor Rogers is still day-to-day and may not be available tonight.
Tomorrow
1. Kelvin Herrera – Alex Colome needed 39 pitches to get the final five outs of Tuesday’s win. The White Sox are off today, which played into last night’s usage, but Colome may still get an extra day of rest on Thursday.
2. Wily Peralta – If Ian Kennedy pitches today, that will be two games in a row for him.
3. Ty Buttrey/Justin Anderson/Cam Bedrosian – The Angels are off today after exhausting their bullpen last night. Closer Hansel Robles needed 35 pitches to complete a five-out save and has thrown 55 pitches over the last two days. Buttrey tossed 34 pitches in his second straight night of work while Anderson threw 30 pitches last night. Tuesday’s opener, Cam Bedrosian, may sneak a save chance on Thursday if the Angels want to get everyone some extra rest.
