Ramos and Dunn head Marlins committee; Jansen due back soon

May 12, 2015

Miami Marlins – The Marlins will look elsewhere after Steve Cishek blew his fourth save of the season (and second in two days) in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. As we speculated yesterday, Mike Redmond is likely to employ a committee for the time being. A.J. Ramos is the most talented of his available options, though we expect Mike Dunn to get a share of chances as well.

Updated hierarchy: *Ramos | Dunn | Morris.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago Cubs – Edwin Jackson has been relegated to mop-up duty recently and in his place Zac Rosscup has been very effective, sporting a 0.75 WHIP on the season. While Pedro Strop continues to regularly set-up Hector Rondon, expect Rosscup to grab plenty of holds in the late innings.

Updated hierarchy: Rondon | Strop | Rosscup.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Kenley Jansen is on track to be activated from the disabled list on Saturday, but Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly will not immediately reinstate Jansen as closer. Expect Dodger save opportunities to remain unpredictable in the short term.

Hierarchy remains: *Garcia | Hatcher | Baez.
* = closer-by-committee.

Houston Astros – Luke Gregerson will likely return from bereavement leave today, according to A.J. Hinch.

Updated hierarchy: Gregerson | Qualls | Neshek.

Atlanta Braves – With Jason Grilli still sidelined, Jim Johnson picked up a save on Monday night. Grill is expected back in short order.

Hierarchy remains: Grilli | Johnson | Avilan.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Tony Watson, Pittsburgh Pirates – Mark Melancon has gone in three straight.
2. Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara has gone in back to back games and hasn’t pitched in three straight all year.
3. Tony Cingrani/Jumbo Diaz, Cincinnati Reds – Aroldis Chapman has picked up consecutive losses on back to back days. His seat is nowhere near hot, but he might get Tuesday off to clear his head.
4. Chris Hatcher, Los Angeles Dodgers – Yimi Garcia blew the save last night, so Hatcher might get the chance today.

A.J. Ramos, Mike Dunn to head closer-by-committee as Cishek stumbles

May 12, 2015

Miami Marlins – The Marlins will look elsewhere after Steve Cishek blew his fourth save of the season (and second in two days) in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. As we speculated yesterday, Mike Redmond is likely to employ a committee for the time being. A.J. Ramos is the most talented of his available options, though we expect Mike Dunn to get a share of chances as well.

Updated hierarchy: *Ramos | Dunn | Morris.
* = closer-by-committee

Steve Cishek blows another save; Shawn Tolleson’s luck improving

May 11, 2015

Texas Rangers – After a rough outing on May 1, Shawn Tolleson has righted the ship. Over his last three outings, he’s allowed only one run while picking up two holds, the most recent of which came Sunday, when he got the 8th ahead of Neftali Feliz. Tolleson’s sturdy WHIP (1.08) and great ratios (18 Ks and 2 BBs in 13 innings) suggest that his inflated ERA (4.85) is more the result of bad luck than bad pitching.

Updated hierarchy: Feliz | Tolleson | Kela.

Miami Marlins – Steve Cishek blew another save on Sunday, and his ERA now sits at 8.18. But what has become less obvious in recent weeks is just who would replace him if he gets a break from closing. A.J. Ramos has the best ratios, but he hasn’t been used in a traditional set-up role at any point this season; instead, that job has mostly gone to lefty Mike Dunn, who got the 8th last night before Cishek blew the game. Mike Redmond hasn’t given any indication that he’s ready to make a move, but if Cishek is demoted, then perhaps a committee will be in order until someone distinguishes themselves.

Updated hierarchy: Cishek | Dunn | Ramos.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Jim Johnson, Atlanta Braves – Jason Grilli was unavailable again yesterday and is listed as day-to-day with back spasms.
2. Wade Davis, Kansas City Royals – Greg Holland has pitched in back to back games and three of four, and threw 30 pitches yesterday.

Chad Qualls records save for the Astros

May 10, 2015

Houston Astros — With Luke Gregerson out, Chad Qualls picked up his 3rd save of the season.  Qualls will continue to close while Gregerson is out.

Hierarchy Remains: Qualls | Neshek | Sipp.

Atlanta Braves – Closer Jason Grilli was unavailable yesterday.  Grilli last pitched on Wednesday when he picked up his 9th save of the season.  If Grilli misses any additional time, Jim Johnson should fill in as closer.

Hierarchy remains: Grilli | Johnson | Avilan.

New York Yankees — Chris Martin has been placed on the DL with tendinitis in his right elbow.  Martin has been solid for the Yankees this season and was 2nd on the team in appearances.  David Carpenter had a rough outing on Tuesday but should see time in the 7th inning while Martin is out.

Updated hierarchy: Miller | Betances | Carpenter.

Baltimore Orioles — Tommy Hunter pitched the 8th inning yesterday before O’Day and Britton combined to pitch the 9th.  Hunter has not allowed an earned run in his last 8 appearances, and the former closer should continue to see time at the back-end of the Orioles’ bullpen.

Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Jim Johnson, Atlanta Braves – If Jason Grilli is unavailable again on Sunday, Johnson should close.
2. Dale Thayer, San Diego Padres – Craig Kimbrel has pitched 2 days in a row, including a 23 pitch blown save yesterday.  Benoit has also pitched two in a row and Quackenbush went two innings in an extra inning game last night.  Thayer seems to be the freshest arm out of the bullpen so he could get a shot if the Padres want to save some of their relief arms on Sunday
3. Chris Hatcher, Los Angeles Dodgers – With the Dodgers still going with a committee, Hatcher could get the call at anytime.

Chad Qualls will fill in for Luke Gregerson for a few days

May 9, 2015

Houston Astros — As we retweeted on Friday evening, Luke Gregerson has been placed on the family emergency list to deal with a private matter. Gregerson cannot return until Monday and could be out until next Friday. Chad Qualls will see the save opportunities until Gregerson comes back.

Updated hierarchy: Qualls | Neshek | Sipp.

New York Yankees — After Andrew Miller shut the Orioles down in order on his way to his 13th save, Joe Girardi reluctantly (and sarcastically) admitted that Miller is New York’s closer. The Yankee bullpen continues to be the best in baseball, with the one-two punch of Miller and Dellin Betances combining for 32 innings pitched with no earned runs, 52 strikeouts, and only 11 hits.

Hierarchy remains: Miller | Betances | Martin.

Los Angeles Angels — As we suspected, Huston Street and Joe Smith got the night off on Friday. Although the Angels let Jared Weaver finish a 120-pitch shutout, it was Fernando Salas (not Mike Morin) warming in the bullpen for the possible vulture save.

Updated hierarchy: Street | Smith | Salas.

Colorado Rockies — Two-year-old Jameson Axford, still recovering from what his doctors called the worst rattlesnake bite they had ever seen, threw out the first pitch at Friday night’s game. Jameson has the stuff to challenge for a late-inning role in 2036, when the rest of us will all be so, so impossibly old.

Hierarchy remains: Axford | Betancourt | Logan.

San Francisco Giants — Yusmeiro Petit earned a three-inning save in a 6-0 Giants win.

Hierarchy remains: Casilla | Romo | Affeldt.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Seth Maness/Kevin Siegrist, St. Louis Cardinals — Trevor Rosenthal has now appeared on two straight days, three of four, and six of eight.
2. Pedro Strop, Chicago Cubs — Hector Rondon has thrown 52 pitches since Wednesday, including Friday’s three-run, 32-pitch debacle.
3. Tony Cingrani, Cincinnati Reds — Chicago and Cincinnati were rained out on Friday and will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
4. Zach Duke, Chicago White Sox — See above.