Hunter Harvey returns while Chris Stratton records an impressive save

June 5, 2021

Baltimore Orioles – Hunter Harvey was activated from the IL and will not have any restrictions.  He was immediately tossed into the 6th inning of a tie game, and although he gave up a run on a pair of hits, he didn’t factor into the decision as the Orioles came back to win the game. Harvey was the presumptive closed entering the year, but Paul Fry and Cole Sulser have pitched very well in his absence, with Fry recording the save yesterday. We will put Harvey second in line and see how Baltimore deploys him coming off his injury.

Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Sulser | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee

Pittsburgh Pirates – The Pirates’ bullpen was brilliant yesterday, scattering three hits over seven scoreless innings. Chris Stratton did the bulk of the work pitching 3.2 perfect innings to earn his first save of the year. Stratton has been a solid contributor for the Pirates but doesn’t get many high leverage chances for a last-place team.

Hierarchy remains: Rodriguez | Crick | Stratton.

Cincinnati Reds — With Tejay Antone and Lucas Sims both resting after 30+ pitch outings on Thursday, the Reds turned a 5 run lead over to Heath Hembree. He gave up a pair of runs so Sean Doolittle came on to put out the fire, but only made it worse, failing to record an out over his 3 batters. This left Michael Feliz, who started the year with the Pirates, to face Paul Goldschmidt with the tying run on first. 3 swinging strikes later and Feliz had secured the first save of his career. Feliz has been mostly relegated to mop-up duty this season, but another performance in a high-pressure spot like last night, and he could crack the hierarchy.

Hierarchy remains: *Antone | Sims | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Blake Treinen (LAD) – Kenley Jansen threw 28 pitches last night, and Treinen is well-rested.
2. Joely Rodriguez (TEX) – Ian Kennedy had a rough 30 pitch outing last night.
3. Emilio Pagan / Craig Stammen (SD) – Mark Melancon has pitched back to back, throwing 34 pitches.
4. Wander Suero (WAS) – Brad Hand has pitched in 3 of 4, but he only threw 4 pitches last night so he may be ready to go today. If not expect Wander Suero, as Daniel Hudson has pitched in 3 of 4 with a heavier workload than Hand.

Sunday
1. Aaron Bummer (CHW) – Today would be 3 in a row for Liam Hendriks, although he has kept his pitch count low in those games.
2. Mike Mayers / Tony Watson (LAA) – Raisel Iglesias pulled a magic trick last night, escaping a bases-loaded, no outs jam in the 8th, but it took him 28 pitches. If he goes again today he will need Sunday off.

Kendall Graveman could return soon

June 4, 2021

Seattle Mariners — Kendall Graveman is out of his COVID-19 quarantine and back in Seattle, though he will likely pitch in a couple of sim games or go on a rehab assignment before being activated. 

Hierarchy remains: *Montero | Middleton | Misiewicz.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals — Scott Barlow was excellent Thursday, throwing two hitless innings to pick up his second save (his first came on April 15). He’s the league’s only pitcher with two six-out saves this season, and his season line is great — 1.86 ERA, 43 K in just 29 IP. Greg Holland hasn’t pitched since Monday, so perhaps it was no accident Barlow was out there with the game on the line Thursday. To be fair to Holland, though, Monday’s appearance was his third in three days, so perhaps extra rest was warranted. Mike Matheny will probably mix and match until his top option Josh Staumont makes his return (which could come soon). 

Hierarchy remains: *Holland | Barlow | Zimmer.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds — The Reds got length from two of their committee members on Thursday, as Tejay Antone tossed scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh before Lucas Sims spinned scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth for his fourth save. This bullpen remains very fluid, as Antone will likely be called upon whenever manager David Bell likes the matchups and not necessarily at the end of every close game. Things could get even more fluid when Michael Lorenzen, who hasn’t played yet this season, returns. He was hoping to secure a rotation spot but will pitch out of the ‘pen when he gets back, Bell said.

Hierarchy remains: *Antone | Sims | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox activated old friend Brandon Workman, who exercised his opt-out clause and forced Boston’s hand. Workman got action in the ninth inning with a 5-0 lead on Thursday and allowed a solo shot to Yuli Gurriel but also recorded two strikeouts. Workman, who excelled as Boston’s closer in 2019, could become a regular in the late innings if he pitches well, but that remains to be seen. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

St. Louis Cardinals — Andrew Miller has returned to the active roster, but he’ll have to pitch well for weeks to factor into the late-inning mix. He has an 8.59 ERA in nine appearances so far this season.

Hierarchy remains: Reyes | Gallegos | Ponce de Leon.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
None, though any closer listed below has pitched in two of three and could conceivably get Friday off. 

Tomorrow
1. Miguel Castro (NYM) – A Friday appearance would be three of four for Edwin Diaz.
2. Carlos Estevez (COL) – Same as above for Daniel Bard.
3. Chad Green (NYY) – Ditto for Aroldis Chapman.
4. Daniel Hudson (WAS) – You get the idea (re: Brad Hand).

Miguel Castro slider results in early candidate for sword of the decade

June 3, 2021

New York Mets – Something isn’t quite right with Trevor May, who has given up 6 runs in his last 6.2 innings after a strong start to the season, and was randomly given extra rest by Luis Rojas earlier this week in a spot where he was seemingly in line to pitch. Whether he’s nursing a minor injury or not, it seems the Mets are looking to Jeurys Familia and Miguel Castro — the latter of whom did this to Ketel Marte while keeping the game tied across the 7th and 8th and earning a win when the Mets retook the lead — to do more of the heavy lifting for now. Seth Lugo also also made his first appearance of the season yesterday and could ascend the hierarchy quickly.

Updated hierarchy: Diaz | Castro | Familia.

New York Yankees – For the third straight appearance, Chad Green got the 8th inning ahead of Aroldis Chapman. Green has re-established himself as the handcuff for the surging Yankees.

Updated hierarchy: Chapman | Green | Loaisiga.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Jeurys Familia – Edwin Diaz has gone back to back and Miguel Castro pitched two innings yesterday.
2. Mychal Givens – Daniel Bard and Carlos Estevez have gone back to back.
3. Wandy Peralta – Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, and Jonathan Loaisiga have all gone back to back.
4. Wander Suero – Brad Hand and Daniel Hudson have gone back to back.

Tomorrow
1. Ryne Stanek – If Ryan Pressly goes today, it’s back to back.

Welcome back to the Baltimore hierarchy, Cole Sulser

June 2, 2021

Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles snapped their 14-game losing streak on Tuesday, but with Paul Fry unavailable, Cole Sulser pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Sulser has strung together eight straight scoreless appearances to lower his ERA to 1.74 and has pitched a lot better lately than Cesar Valdez. In other news, Hunter Harvey looked sharp in a rehab appearance last night and could be activated as soon as today.

Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Sulser | Valdez.
* = closer-by-committee

Cleveland Indians — James Karinchak was shaky last night in earning his seventh save of the season, as he allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out only one White Sox batter. Karinchak has now allowed seven earned runs over his last five appearances, which has to be concerning to anyone who invested heavily in him after his splendid start to the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Clase | Karinchak | Shaw.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago White Sox – For folks playing in holds leagues, it’s worth noting that the White Sox are avoiding back-to-back days of work for Garrett Crochet right now, but that his usage will expand with time.

Hierarchy remains: Hendriks | Bummer | Crochet.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Kevin Ginkel (ARI) – Stefan Crichton has pitched in two straight.
2. Diego Castillo (TB) – J.P. Feyereisen has pitched in two straight and three of four.

Tomorrow
1. Carlos Estevez/Mychal Givens (COL) – If Daniel Bard or Estevez pitch tonight, that will be two straight and three of four for them.
2. Jonathan Loaisiga/Chad Green (NYY) – If Aroldis Chapman appears today, that will be back-to-back days of work for him. Same goes for Loaisiga and Green, so depending on how today goes you may see an off-the-board reliever get Thursday’s save chance.
3. Daniel Ponce de Leon (STL) – Should Alex Reyes pitch today, that will be back-to-back appearances for him. Giovanny Gallegos threw 35 pitches last night, so he may need two straight days of rest.
4. Daniel Hudson (WAS) – Brad Hand threw 24 pitches last night, so it’s likely that a second straight appearance today will sideline him on Thursday.

JP Feyereisen moves to the top of Tampa’s committee

June 1, 2021

Tampa Bay Rays – JP Feyereisen now has five appearances for the Rays: a 6th inning debut, followed by four straight 9th inning save chances, of which he has converted three. (In the fourth, he gave up a run and blew the save, but stayed on and pitched the 10th for the win.) All four of those opportunities have come after Diego Castillo’s last save on May 22, which is enough for us to push Feyereisen to the head of this committee.

Updated hierarchy: *Feyereisen | Castillo | Fairbanks.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago White Sox – Aaron Bummer picked up the save in the first game of Chicago’s doubleheader; hopefully a few of you speculated on him after he appeared in yesterday’s Vulture Save Watch!

Hierarchy remains: Hendriks | Bummer | Crochet.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Devin Williams – Josh Hader has pitched back to back.

Tomorrow
1. Chris Martin – If Will Smith goes tonight, it’s back to back.