Craig Kimbrel returns, takes loss as uneven season continues

September 20, 2019

Chicago Cubs — The Cubs activated Craig Kimbrel Thursday and immediately thrust him into action in a tie game in the 10th inning. He took the loss after allowing a go-ahead home run to Matt Carpenter, who hadn’t homered since Aug. 25. While he might see off days here and there, possibly including today, Kimbrel (0-3. 1.53 WHIP, 5.95 ERA) will return to closer duties for the stretch run. Meanwhile, Brandon Kintzler, who originally targeted today for a return, is now more likely to be back early next week.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Wick | Kintzler.

St. Louis Cardinals — After a gem by Jack Flaherty, the Cardinals were up 4-1 and brought in Carlos Martinez, who coughed up two runs and recorded just one out before being pulled. Andrew Miller allowed an RBI groundout to tie the game, but managed to stop the bleeding and send the game into extras. After Matt Carpenter’s homer in the top half of the tenth, Giovanny Gallegos came out for the bottom half to record his first save. Gallegos likely rewarded a significant number of patient owners who rostered him for his excellent contributions to the ratios (0.73 WHIP, 2.07 ERA, 92/15 K/BB ratio in 69.2 IP). 

Hierarchy remains: Martinez | Miller | Gallegos.

Seattle Mariners — Rookie Erik Swanson worked around a walk to strike out the side in the 11th in getting his first career save. Anthony Bass had pitched earlier in the game and Matt Magill, who recently dealt with a sore back, was perhaps getting some rest during Thursday’s matinee after earning his fifth save on Wednesday night. 

Hierarchy remains: *Magill | Bass | Tuivailala.
* = closer-by-committee

New York Yankees – Dellin Betances is expected to be ready for spring training after he partially tore his Achilles tendon on Sunday. Doctors said Betances should not need surgery and should make a full recovery, but he is obviously out for the season. He pitched in just one game this year, striking out the only two batters he faced on Sept. 15. 

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Britton | Ottavino.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Matt Barnes – Brandon Workman threw 29 pitches Thursday and has pitched in four of his last six. 
2. Andrew Miller – Carlos Martinez has pitched in two straight and three of four. 
3. Rowan Wick/Steve Cishek – Though the Cubs are fighting for their playoff lives, Craig Kimbrel probably won’t pitch back-to-back so soon after returning from the IL.
4. Sergio Romo – Taylor Rogers has gone in three of four. Sergio Romo has had the same workload, but threw only 29 pitches over that span (including just five on Thursday).
5. Nick Goody – Brad Hand (arm fatigue) pitched in a side session Wednesday and “looked like himself,” but it’s not known when he will return.

Saturday:
1. Nick Goody — See above.
2. Michael Lorenzen — Raisel Iglesias pitched in three of four before the Reds were off on Thursday, so a Friday outing would bring his recent workload to three of four (again) and four of six. 
3. Jose Alvarez/Blake Parker — A Friday outing would be three of four for Hector Neris.

Keep an eye on Josh James in 2020 and beyond

September 3, 2019

Houston Astros – After a Roberto Osuna blown save in the 9th, the Astros retook the lead in the 10th, allowing Josh James to pick up his first career save. James has struggled with his control at times, but has electrifying stuff (14.27 K/9 in 52.1 IP this season) and is a reliever to watch for the Astros in 2020 and beyond.

Hierarchy remains: Osuna | Harris | Rondon.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Kenta Maeda picked up the rare 4-inning save on Monday, closing out a blowout win for the Dodgers. Maeda was just moved to the bullpen so he can prepare for his likely postseason role as a reliever; it’s possible he gets another save chance or two since the Dodgers are trying not to overwork Kenley Jansen down the stretch.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Kelly | Baez.

Atlanta Braves – Mark Melancon picked up his third save in four days on Monday; he’s clearly the Braves closer for the rest of the stretch run and we’re removing his asterisk.

Updated hierarchy: Melancon | Greene | Jackson.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Andrew Miller – Carlos Martinez has gone three straight.
2. Luke Jackson/Chris Martin – Mark Melancon and Shane Greene have both gone back to back and three of four.

Wade Davis’s nightmare season continues

August 20, 2019

St. Louis Cardinals – Carlos Martinez got the day off on Monday after a 21-pitch outing Sunday, allowing Andrew Miller to capture his fifth save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Martinez | Miller | Gallegos.

Texas Rangers – Rafael Montero pitched the 10th and 11th innings on Monday, earning the win and lowering his ERA to 1.20 over 15 innings with the Rangers. Montero, who earned his second hold earlier this week, has joined Emmanuel Clase as late-inning options in the lead-up to Shawn Kelley and Jose Leclerc.

Updated hierarchy: Leclerc | Kelley | Montero.

Colorado Rockies – Summoned in a tie game in the 8th inning, Wade Davis gave up 3 earned runs for the second straight night. Jake McGee got the final out of the inning. We’re bumping Davis from this hierarchy temporarily until he has a good outing.

Updated hierarchy: *Estevez | Diaz | Shaw.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Andres Munoz – Kirby Yates has gone three straight.
2. Ryan Pressly – Roberto Osuna has gone back to back and three of four.
3. Yoan Lopez – Archie Bradley has gone back to back and three of four.

Tomorrow
1. Andres Munoz/Craig Stammen – It’s conceivable that the Padres give Kirby Yates two days off after he threw 67 pitches over the last three nights.
2. Ty Buttrey – If Hansel Robles goes tonight, it’ll be back to back and three of four.
3. Scott Barlow – Ian Kennedy labored through a 26-pitch save last night; another long outing tonight and he’ll be off Wednesday.

Edwin Diaz continues to falter; Braves turn back to Luke Jackson

August 12, 2019

Atlanta Braves – After a string of failures led by all the relievers they acquired at the deadline, the Braves went back to Ya Boy for the 9th inning on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty, as Jackson allowed three singles and didn’t strike anyone out, but despite spilling water all over himself before the outing, he got the job done, stranding the bases loaded and preserving the 1-run victory. We’ll move him back on to the hierarchy, with designs on putting him back on top if he gets and converts the next opportunity.

Updated hierarchy: *Melancon | Jackson | Greene.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago Cubs – With pretty much every other high-profile reliever on the Cubs on the IL, Joe Maddon went to Pedro Strop for the 9th inning yesterday. Strop converted for his 10th save of the year; David Phelps and Rowan Wick were used to bridge the gap to him. We’ll adjust the hierarchy accordingly.

Updated hierarchy: *Strop | Wick | Phelps.
* = closer-by-committee

New York Mets – Sunday provided another disappointing outing from Edwin Diaz, who allowed two runs in a non-save situation. Though Diaz will continue to get high-leverage innings, we have a feeling that Seth Lugo gets the next save chance here. Lugo will probably never be a full time closer, since the Mets tend to avoid using him on back to back nights, but he should be good for some saves down the stretch.

Updated hierarchy: *Lugo | Diaz | Wilson.
* = closer-by-committee

St. Louis Cardinals – As mentioned in the Vulture Save Watch, Carlos Martinez had gone in back to back and three of four going into Sunday, so he was given the night off and Andrew Miller got the save.

Hierarchy remains: Martinez | Miller | Gant.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Zack Britton/Shawn Armstrong – The Orioles and Yankees play a doubleheader today, which can mean unorthodox bullpen usage.

Tomorrow
1. Ty Buttrey – If Hansel Robles goes tonight, it’ll be three straight.
2. Nick Wittgren – Brad Hand labored through 25 pitches yesterday; another extended outing and he’ll have Tuesday off.
3. Ryan Pressly – If Roberto Osuna goes tonight, it’ll be back to back and three of four.
4. Fernando Rodney – Same for Sean Doolittle.

Not all vulture saves are created equal

July 24, 2019

Boston Red Sox — Alex Cora tasked Brandon Workman to get a six-out save with the Sox leading the Rays, 5-2, on Tuesday. Workman breezed through the eighth inning on 12 pitches and got two outs in the ninth, but he ran into trouble and eventually exited the game with the bases loaded and the Rays trailing by two. Marcus Walden came on and threw four straight balls before inducing a game-ending groundout to get the save. Meanwhile, Nathan Eovaldi’s first appearance off the IL on Monday was not great; he allowed five hits and three earned runs to turn an 8-0 eighth-inning lead into an 8-3 advantage. Eovaldi was available yesterday despite throwing 24 pitches, but Cora had his reasons to not go to Eovaldi in the ninth. We should see Eovaldi in the ninth inning today if there’s a save chance, especially because Cora said that Workman is unavailable Matt Barnes likely will be available for only one out.

Hierarchy remains: *Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

Pittsburgh Pirates – Keone Kela, who concluded his extended stint on the IL this week, has also finished his two-game suspension due to an altercation with a club staffer and will be activated today. Clint Hurdle said that they’ll look to use Kela in a non-leverage situation right off the bat, but expect Kela to eventually play a big role for the Pirates in the late innings.

Updated hierarchy: Vazquez | Crick | Kela.

St. Louis Cardinals — As predicted in yesterday’s Vulture Save Watch, Carlos Martinez got the night off and Andrew Miller picked up the save. Miller has established himself as the handcuff for Martinez.

Hierarchy remains: Martinez | Miller | Gant.

New York Yankees — It was not the best night for the Yankees’ hierarchy, as Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman both blew late-inning leads. Adam Ottavino nearly joined that list after he loaded the bases with two outs in a 14-12 game, but Chad Green Aaron Hicks made sure the Yankees hung on for the 10-inning win. A truly well-earned save for Green and an even more well-deserved hold for Ottavino.

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Britton | Ottavino.

Cincinnati Reds – While we did have the Reds as part of yesterday’s Vulture Save Watch, we unfortunately did not predict Sal Romano’s three-inning save in a 14-6 win. Shame on us.

Hierarchy remains: Iglesias | Lorenzen | Garrett.

Chicago White Sox — It’s worth noting that Jace Fry has been sharp of late, posting a 0.79 ERA over his last 14 appearances. If Fry keeps pitching like this, it will be hard for the White Sox to keep him away from more consistent high-leverage work.

Hierarchy remains: Colome | Bummer | Marshall.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Nathan Eovaldi – As we noted above, Brandon Workman is unavailable after throwing 44 pitches.
2. Blake Parker – Parker had a rough outing yesterday, but Taylor Rogers has pitched in two straight and three of four.
3. Zack Britton – Aroldis Chapman threw 29 pitches yesterday and may get a day off heading into a four-game series with the Red Sox.
4. Sam Dyson – Will Smith went two innings yesterday, but he only threw 19 pitches. The Giants are off on Thursday, but Smith may rest today anyway.

Tomorrow
1. Joe Jimenez/Buck Farmer – If Shane Greene pitches today, that would be two straight and three of four. Joe Jimenez enters today having pitched in three of the last four.
2. Seth Lugo – The same for Shane Greene is true for Edwin Diaz.
3. Ty Buttrey/Cam Bedrosian – A second straight day of 20 or more pitches may mean Hansel Robles gets Thursday off. Ty Buttrey probably has today off after throwing 30 pitches yesterday, but if both he and Robles are rested, Bedrosian should get any save chance that arises.
4. Zack Britton/Adam Ottavino – If Aroldis Chapman goes today, it will be two straight and three of four.