Spring Vibes, March 5: Bednar, Matsui and Brash updates (again), Scott implodes (again), game recaps, and more

Pittsburgh Pirates –  Finally addressing the elephant in the room, Alex Stumpfl posted on MLB.com about the lat injury that has shut down David Bednar from throwing. He remains upbeat, but the team will not let him throw for a “few days”. Invariably, how long it takes will affect his availability on Opening Day. For those drafting early, Bednar’s not concerned by the injury, but handcuffing him with Aroldis Chapman may be advisable, depending on roster spots available.

San Diego PadresMaking good progress after a back strain, Yuki Matsui will participate in Wednesday’s workout and could appear in two exhibition games before Opening Day per Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. With things trending positively, fantasy players should monitor what type of workload the southpaw reliever can handle in the upcoming season.

Seattle Mariners – Some much needed good news from Mariners camp, according to Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports, Matt Brash will resume his throwing regimen. It’s with cautious optimism, but here’s hoping he can progress without any setbacks and meet the mid-April target for a return, this leverage ladder desperately needs him. 

Miami MarlinsTanner Scott pitches for Miami, F.L.A., spiked a bunch of sliders on Monday, walked four batters, did not record an out, saying hey Skip, take a walk on the wild side. In all seriousness, it was a rough outing against the Yankees resulting in a loss. Scott faced four batters, allowed three earned runs, and did not record an out while throwing 25 pitches (36 Strike percentage) with one whiff. Better days lie ahead, but for a reliever with command issues in his past, this will not placate fantasy players with concerns about regression. 

New York Mets – Sound the trumpets, Edwin Díaz will make his spring training debut on Tuesday (March 5), but on the Minor League fields. Per Anthony DiComo, Díaz has thrown multiple live batting practice sessions. If all goes well in his debut, he will see Grapefruit League action soon thereafter. Cue “Narco“, it’s almost time. 

Chicago White Sox –  Not only has Jordan Leasure caught the attention of the Closer Monkey staff, he’s also garnering praise from his manager, Pedro Grifol. In this tweet by Scott Merkin, MLB.com’s White Sox beat writer, it’s mentioned Leasure has plus-plus stuff. Not sure how Eno Sarris rates him, but the rookie reliever has a chance of making the roster in a veteran-laden leverage ladder.

Quick Hits

  • Baltimore Orioles – Rough outing alert, this one by Craig Kimbrel. He allowed five hits, including a home run, and four earned runs while striking out one in the fourth. This tweet displays his spring ERAs in past seasons. Breathe.
  • Cincinnati RedsAlexis Díaz allowed two hits and two earned runs while striking out one in the fourth inning.
  • Oakland A’s Mason Miller fired a clean sixth, striking out two. He’s made two clean appearances this spring and recorded five strikeouts of six batters faced (83.3 K%). Dany Jiménez tossed a clean seventh, striking out one. Through three clean outings, he’s recorded two strikeouts.
  • Texas Rangers José Leclerc tossed a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out one. By my count, he threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) and generated three whiffs (20 SwStr%).
  • Toronto Blue Jays –  Jordan Romano suffered his first blown save allowing two hits and an earned run before being lifted in the fourth. Over his two-thirds of an inning, he threw 20 pitches (65 Strike%) with two whiffs (10 SwStr%).

Until next time, stay safe and be well.

Spring Vibes, March 4: Bednar’s injury, Mariners roster projection, Game Recaps, and more

Pittsburgh Pirates – After seeing a report on “X” regarding a lat issue for David Bednar, MLB.com’s injuries and roster moves tab provided some insight on the setback. He felt tightness during his throwing program, and the team will monitor his progress. He’s not appeared in a spring training contest yet. Depending on how long this persists may impact his being ready for Opening Day. This will put more focus on Aroldis Chapman as a handcuff. On Sunday, he fired a clean third, striking out one on 11 pitches (81.8 Strike percentage) and induced three whiffs (27.3 swinging strike rate).

Seattle Mariners – Taking a first run at a roster projection, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com posted some names off of fantasy radars. He also suggested Matt Brash could return by mid-April if his throwing program goes well. 

Quick Hits (Notes of Interest from games on March 3)

  • Atlanta Braves – Taking over in the fourth, Aaron Bummer gave up three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out two. Daysbel Hernández fired a clean fifth, striking out two. A.J. Minter collected his first spring win, retiring the side in order in the sixth while striking out one. Pierce Johnson notched his first spring hold, yielding a hit during a scoreless seventh. Joe Jiménez navigated around a hit and a walk while recording all three outs via strikeout in the eighth.
  • Chicago CubsHector Neris tossed a scoreless fourth, yielding a hit. He’s logged two appearances this spring and owns a 0.50 WHIP with one strikeout. Adbert Alzolay worked a scoreless fourth allowing a hit and striking out one. He’s also appeared in two contests and sports a 0.50 WHIP with two strikeouts.
  • Chicago White Sox –  Jordan Leasure worked a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out two, with this clip courtesy of the Pitching Ninja showing his arsenal.
  • Los Angeles Angels – Suffering his first blown save this spring, Carlos Estévez served up a solo home run and struck out one in the third inning. Drew Pomeranz tossed a scoreless fourth, yielding a hit and striking out one. Adam Cimber retired the side in order in the fifth. Zach Plesac collected his second spring win. He logged two scoreless frames giving up a hit and a walk while striking out three.
  • Minnesota Twins – A better outing for Jhoan Durán (MIN), but he gave up two hits and recorded a strikeout in the third against the Rays. He threw 17 pitches (11 strikes – 64.7 Strike percentage) and induced four whiffs (23.5 swinging strike percentage).

Thanks for dropping in, stay safe and be well.

Spring Vibes: Hader debuts, Suarez dealing with traffic, and more

March 3, 2024

Houston AstrosJosh Hader made his spring debut. In the game recap by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, he tossed a scoreless fifth, giving up a hit. He threw 16 pitches (9 strikes – 60 strike percentage) and hit 95 m.p.h. with his sinker, but he’s not concerned about velocity. He only threw one change-up, but this fits his modus operandi from last year:

San Diego PadresSomehow, Robert Suarez turned in a scoreless appearance despite allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out one for a scoreless sixth. He got credit for his first spring hold, but it was eventful. Through three games, he owns a 3:4 K:BB with a 4.29 WHIP, less than optimal. Per Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune, Enyel De Los Santos and Woo-suk Go will pitch on Sunday. On the injury front, Yuki Matsui threw from 90 feet:

Atlanta Braves – Another nice outing by Ken Giles. He recorded his first spring hold with a scoreless fourth, walking one and striking out one. He threw 11 pitches (36.4 Strike percentage) with two whiffs (18.2 swinging strike percentage). He’s also recording them against tough competition per Justin Toscano on “X”. He may graduate from a fantasy afterthought into a reliever worth streaming in leagues with holds or SOLDS. Stay tuned.

Miami Marlins – Out of minor league options, Sixto Sánchez could break camp with Miami as a reliever. He made his spring debut on Saturday, firing a clean fifth and striking out one for his first hold. He threw 14 pitches (71.4 Strike percentage) and induced two whiffs (14.3 swinging strike percentage). It’s tough not rooting for him after all he’s been through, and his “Dad bod” physique. From Christina De Nicola’s game recap for MLB.com:

Philadelphia Phillies –  It’s early in spring contests, but José Alvarado only allowed two home runs on his sinker last year but served one up against Ryan Jeffers in this outing, among his two hits allowed. Alvarado threw 19 pitches (12 strikes – 63.2 Strike percentage) and induced one whiff:

Matt Strahm fired a clean fourth, striking out two on 14 pitches (71.4 Strike percentage) with three whiffs (21.4 swinging strike percentage). Gregory Soto worked around two hits for a scoreless fifth, recording one strikeout. Jeff Hoffman tossed a scoreless sixth, walking one. He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike percentage) with three whiffs (21.4 swinging strike percentage).

Detroit Tigers – It’s assumed Alex Lange will open the season as his team’s primary save share. However, the Tigers signed two veterans capable of providing high-leverage innings this season. On Saturday, Andrew Chafin fired a clean outing, striking out two on seven pitches (all strikes) while producing three whiffs (42.9 swinging strike percentage). Shelby Miller tossed a clean fourth, striking out one. He threw eight pitches (87.5 Strike percentage) and induced three whiffs (37.5 swinging strike rate). Jason Foley had a rough outing resulting in his first loss, and first blown save this spring. 

Kansas City Royals -During his spring debut, Will Smith fired a clean inning, striking out two. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, his delayed appearance was by plan since he was part of the World Series championships for three straight seasons. She also reported he will be incorporating a change-up into his arsenal during spring games. 

Minnesota Twins – Do-Hyoung Park published his first roster projection for the Twins on MLB.com. No major surprises, except it does not include Jorge Alcala. He’s had a strong spring with three scoreless appearances, a 0.67 WHIP, and three strikeouts versus one walk. However, he has minor league options remaining, which means he will be the first reliever promoted if an injury occurs unless he forces his way onto the Opening Day roster. 

Arizona Diamondbacks – Not only will Paul Sewald enter 2024 as the “bonafide closer“, but he’s also adding a new pitch. In this post by Jesus Cano of MLB.com, it’s mentioned Sewald will try adding a change-up to his repertoire. As for his spring debut on Saturday, he navigated around two hits for a scoreless outing. Last year, he relied on elevated four-seam fastballs and his sweeper:

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2023 Donation Drive

With the first postseason save just underway (Can Jhoan Duran protect a 2 run lead??), we we want to thank all our subscribers and supporters for joining us through another season of obsessively tracking bullpens. We hope we’ve helped your fantasy team succeed and given you some entertainment along the way.

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And one more time, THANK YOU for reading. This is our 13th year of writing about bullpens and we could not and would not continue if it wasn’t for all of you. The Closer Monkey team is still just a motley crew of baseball fans who continue to be amazed that so many of you enjoy our coverage and service. 

Stay tuned for our next adventure: Brass Monkey which will send email alerts whenever a major symphony replaces their brass section leader.

-Closer Monkey

Felix Bautista will have Tommy John surgery and likely miss all of 2024

October 1, 2023

Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista was trying to see if he could pitch with a torn UCL to help his team in the playoffs but they finally decided it wasn’t going to work.  Bautista will have Tommy John surgery and likely miss all of 2024

Hierarchy remains: Cano | Perez | Coulombe.

Miami Marlins — Tanner Scott recorded the last four outs of a Marlins 7-5 win to pick up his 12th save of the season.  The win also clinched a playoff spot and MLB has decided that they will not resume their suspended game against the Mets

Hierarchy remains: Scott | Nardi | Robertson

Chicago Cubs – Starter Jameson Taillon appeared in relief yesterday and pitched four scoreless innings to finish off a Cubs’ win and record a save.  Kudos to fantasy owners who left Taillon in their lineup but the win wasn’t enough for the Cubs as they were eliminated from playoff contention.

Hierarchy remains: Alzolay | Merryweather | Cuas

Houston Astros – Ryan Pressly was given the night off after pitching in two of three and Bryan Abreu closed out a 1-0 win for his 5th save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Pressly | Abreu | Neris

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Aaron Bummer (CHW) – The rubber armed Bryan Shaw has pitched in four straight.
2. Aroldis Chapman (TEX) – Jose Leclerc has pitched in three of four.
3. Kirby Yates (ATL) – Raisel Iglesias has pitched in three of five while AJ Minter has gone in two of three.
4. AJ Puk (MIA) – Tanner Scott has pitched in two straight while Andrew Nardi and David Robertson have both pitched in three of four.