Spring Vibes, March 12: Edwin’s triumphant return, Injury Updates, Rays RPs spring debuts

Monday provided a calmer day in “closer” news but also featured spring debuts by two relievers atop their respective bullpen hierarchies. Two updates on teams with lingering health issues, and game recaps.

New York Mets –  Assuaging any concerns about his knee or velocity, Edwin Díaz made his triumphant return on Monday, striking out the side on 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.2 Strike%) and producing seven whiffs (50 SwStr%), six with his slider. Covered by Bill Ladson of MLB.com, it’s only one outing, but a pivotal one for a Mets bullpen that missed his late-inning presence last year. 

Boston Red Sox – Two separate updates about leverage relievers for the Red Sox. First, Pete Abraham reported on “X” that Kenley Jansen will throw live batting practice on Tuesday (March 12). If all goes well, he can hit his target date of a spring debut on Friday. From the injuries and roster moves page at MLB.com, Chris Martin “could” be ready for Opening Day according to his manager, Alex Cora. 

San Diego Padres –  In Kevin Acee’s Padres Notes for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he shared Robert Suarez took a comeback batted ball off his shin, but should be fine. He’s getting imaging as a precaution. Both he and Yuki Matsui, are slated to appear in Wednesday’s Cactus League contest. As for game action, Suarez tossed a scoreless ninth, yielding a hit and striking out two. He’s overcome a slow start with four straight scoreless outings in March with a 7:2 K:BB over his last four innings.

Tampa Bay Rays – Two high-leverage relievers made their spring debuts on Monday (March 11), including the team’s “closer“, Pete Fairbanks. He fired a clean top of the ninth, recording two strikeouts. Colin Poche also made his first spring appearance, with a clean eighth, striking out two. Dawn Klemish covered their outings for MLB.com in her game recap, noting Fairbanks hit 98 m.p.h. with his four-seam fastball. 

Quick Hits (Game Recaps from March 11)

Arizona Diamondbacks – Paul Sewald fired a clean seventh, striking out two He threw 14 pitches (64.3 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (21.4 SwStr%). He’s logged four spring appearances and owns a 0.75 WHIP with three strikeouts.

Atlanta Braves – Raisel Iglesias secured his first spring hold, tossing a scoreless sixth. He issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts.

Cleveland Guardians – Navigating around a hit, Emmanuel Clase tossed a scoreless fourth, recording two strikeouts. This marked his fourth appearance this spring and he owns a 1.00 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus one walk.

Minnesota Twins – Another strong outing by Griffin Jax, striking out the side in the fifth. He’s made five appearances this spring and posted a minuscule 0.20 WHIP with a robust 10 strikeouts versus zero walks. He’s faced 17 batters and owns a 58.8 strikeout percentage this spring. 

New York Yankees – Taking over in the fourth inning, Clay Holmes notched his second hold with a scoreless outing, navigating around two hits and striking out one. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) and induced four whiffs (30.8 SwStr%). He owns a 0.67 WHIP with three strikeouts over three appearances this spring. Ian Hamilton fired two clean frames, striking out four for his second hold on 24 pitches (66.7 Strike%) with four whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). He’s logged four outings and posted a 0.29 WHIP with 11 strikeouts against two walks.

Oakland A’s – Trevor Gott fired a clean sixth, striking out two. Mason Miller lit up the radar gun while posting the five fastest pitches recorded by Statcast on Monday during a clean seventh, recording one strikeout. He threw 15 pitches (66.7 Strike%) with one whiff. He’s made four relief appearances and owns a 0.25 WHIP with seven strikeouts against zero walks, good for a 53.8 K-BB%.

St. Louis Cardinals – Entering in the fifth inning, Ryan Helsley retired the side in order. He threw 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) without a whiff for his second hold. Through four outings this spring, he owns a 1.25 WHIP with four strikeouts against three walks.

Monday’s Closer Monkey filthy sequence of the day, Edwin Díaz, courtesy of the Pitching Ninja.

Until next time, stay safe and be well.

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Spring Vibes, March 11: D-Will seeking second opinion, Graterol not traveling to South Korea, Injury Updates galore, Game Recaps, and more

Stealing a line from U2, it was a bloody Sunday for fantasy baseball players, especially in the closer realm. Not only could Devin Williams be sidelined with a back issue, Tanner Scott could not hit water if he fell out of a boat this spring. There was good news for three relievers, plenty of game action, and performances of interest.

Milwaukee Brewers – Not the sort of update we prefer providing, but Devin Williams will get a second opinion regarding his back, and the team will be cautious with him per Curt Hogg on “X”. It’s too early for speculating if he will miss any time, but it must be weighed when targeting him in upcoming drafts. Monitor this closely. This post by Jack Magruder for MLB.com provided more insight on the back issue affecting Williams this spring. It’s too early, but if he misses Opening Day, the hierarchy would shift:

Projected hierarchy if Williams lands on the injured list: Trevor Megill | Abner Uribe | Joel Payamps

Los Angeles Dodgers – A bevy of notes about the Dodgers leverage ladder. First, Brusdar Graterol will not participate in the two games in South Korea with hip and shoulder tightness, reported by Juan Toribio of MLB.com on “X”. This paves the way for Daniel Hudson opening the season with the team. Blake Treinen was struck in the ribs on comebacker on Saturday, and did not suffer any breaks, but will receive a few days off during his recovery. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball, thankfully the reliever will be on his feet throwing soon.

Now for some good news about relievers on the mend.

Pittsburgh Pirates –  Positive news about David Bednar. According to Alex Stumpfl of MLB.com, the “closer” has played catch the last two days. Hopefully, news about a bullpen session or facing live hitters will surface later this week so a timeline for his return can be discerned. 

New York Mets – Following up on a previous note, Edwin Díaz will make his Grapefruit League debut on Monday, covered by Bill Ladson of MLB.com. He last appeared in a major league game during the postseason in 2022. Sound the trumpets Mets fans.

San Diego Padres – Per the Padres’ injuries and roster moves page on MLB.com, Yuki Matsui faced five hitters, retiring four of them on Sunday during live batting practice and could appear in a Cactus League game this week, which would put him back on track for being available on Opening Day in South Korea. He last appeared in a game on February 22. 

Seattle Mariners – Good news on two relievers working their way into game shape. Matt Brash will play catch out to 90 feet and Gregory Santos will throw a bullpen session on Monday, reported on “X” by Ryan Divish. 

Relievers Worthy of Your Attention

Colorado Rockies – Another impressive outing this spring by Jaden Hill, identified by Closer Monkey as the “closer” of the future, turned in another scoreless outing on Sunday. He’s also featured by Thomas Harding of MLB.com as a “lights out reliever” in the making. He’s racked up six strikeouts this spring over four appearances allowing one hit (a solo home run) and two walks (0.75 WHIP).

Kansas City Royals – On Sunday, James McArthur retired all four batters faced, two via strikeout. He owns a 0.63 WHIP with eight strikeouts versus one walk over 6.1 innings. He’s featured by Manny Randhawa of MLB.com as part of the “culture change” in the Royals leverage ladder. After his arrival from Philadelphia, the team asked him to use his slider again, and his tweaked arsenal produced a 16.1 inning scoreless streak through the end of last season. He may not garner save chances early on, but he will be a factor in them as the year progresses. 

Quick Hits (Game Recaps from March 10)

Chicago White Sox -Recording his fourth hold this spring, Jordan Leasure turned in a scoreless sixth, giving up a hit and striking out one. Through five outings, he owns a 0.80 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus two walks.

Houston Astros – Entering in the second inning, Ryan Pressly served up a solo home run (Trey Mancini) and suffered his first loss of spring. Josh Hader fired a clean fourth, striking out two. This marked his third appearance this spring and he owns a 0.67 WHIP with two strikeouts versus one walk.

Miami Marlins – Remaining wild this spring, Tanner Scott escaped with a scoreless outing even though he allowed a hit and two walks while striking out two in two-thirds of the sixth inning. He threw 26 pitches (11 strikes – 42.3 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (19.2 SwStr%). He’s made four appearances this spring and sports an inflated 8.40 WHIP with three strikeouts against seven walks over 1.2 innings, less than optimal.

Minnesota Twins –  Another outing with traffic for Jhoan Durán. He allowed four hits and two earned runs in the sixth against the Nationals. He threw 22 pitches (12 strikes – 54.5 Strike%) and only induced one whiff. He’s registered a 3.00 WHIP through his first four outings, spanning 3.2 innings, with three strikeouts against one walk. Plus, his velocity was down in this contest.

Toronto Blue Jays – Erik Swanson fired a clean seventh, striking out one on 12 pitches (75 Strike%) with two whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). Jordan Romano walked two while striking out one in two-thirds of the eighth. He threw 21 pitches (11 strikes – 52.3 Strike%) with one whiff. He’s made five appearances this spring, posting a 0.92 WHIP with six strikeouts versus two walks.

Sunday’s filthy pitch of the day goes to Greg Weissert (BOS), featured by the Pitching Ninja.

Until next time, stay safe and be well.

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Spring Vibes, March 10: A new Red Sox reliever with an injury, Chapman thriving in Pittsburgh, Game Recaps, and more

Thanks for stopping by Closer Monkey, although there have not been major changes in any team’s hierarchy, things may change this week, especially once injury return timelines become clearer. Our bullpen depth chart was updated this morning (March 10).

Boston Red Sox – After not traveling with the team to the Dominican Republic, Chris Martin stayed behind but was shut down during a bullpen session two pitches in with a groin issue per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. This puts his status for Opening Day in question with less than three weeks of preparations left. Monitor his timeline closely. His manager Alex Cora suggested his session was shortened as a “precautionary move” reported on “X” by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Pittsburgh Pirates –  While fantasy players await updates on David Bednar, his teammate, Aroldis Chapman hit triple-digits on the radar during his outing on Saturday. He took over in the fifth and retired the side in order while recording two strikeouts. He threw 13 pitches (7 strikes – 53.8 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (15.4 SwStr%). He’s also assimilating well with the Pirates, covered by Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. No hierarchy change yet, but if Bednar does not begin a throwing progression this week, he’s trending the wrong direction for Opening Day. Manager Derek Shelton intimated an update on the “closer” would be provided later today.

Quick Hits (Game Recaps from March 9)

  • Chicago Cubs – Adbert Alzolay worked a scoreless fifth, walking one and striking out one. He owns a 0.50 WHIP with three strikeouts and one walk over four innings. Hector Neris gave up a hit and struck out one in the sixth.
  • Chicago White Sox – Logging 2.1 scoreless frames as the “bulk follower”, Garrett Crochet scattered three hits and recorded four strikeouts. He owns a 0.83 WHIP with nine strikeouts and no walks through six innings of work. Prelander Berroa allowed a hit and struck out one in two-thirds scoreless in the sixth.
  • Colorado Rockies – With the closer competition heating up, Tyler Kinley fired a clean seventh, striking out two. He’s made four appearances this spring, recording a 0.75 WHIP with six strikeouts versus two walks. Justin Lawrence tossed a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out one. He’s logged five outings so far, posting a 1.40 WHIP with eight strikeouts against one walk.
  • Pittsburgh Pirates – Suffering his first loss this spring, Colin Holderman allowed three hits, including a three-run home run (Keston Hiura), and recorded three strikeouts in the fourth inning. Aroldis Chapman fired a clean fifth, striking out two. He threw 13 pitches (7 strikes – 53.8 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (15.4 SwStr%). This marked his fourth spring outing and he owns a 1.25 WHIP with seven strikeouts against one walk through four innings.
  • San Diego Padres – Working from the back to the front, with Opening Day fast approaching, Robert Suarez fired a clean top of the ninth, striking out two. A slow starter each spring, he may be turning the corner. Wandy Peralta tossed a scoreless eighth, giving up a hit. Steven Wilson walked one and struck out two during a scoreless seventh.
  • San Francisco Giants -Making his third spring appearance, Camilo Doval turned in a scoreless fourth, walking one and striking out two. In three games, he owns a 1.00 WHIP with a 5:2 K:BB over three innings.
  • Seattle Mariners – Andrés Muñoz fired a clean sixth, striking out one. He threw five pitches, all strikes. After three spring outings, he owns a minuscule 0.33 WHIP with three strikeouts.
  • Washington Nationals – Kyle Finnegan fired a clean seventh, striking out two. He owns a 0.50 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus one walk this spring. Hunter Harvey gave up two hits and an earned run while striking out two in the eighth. He’s made four appearances, posting a 1.50 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus one walk.

The Closer Monkey filthy sequence of the day goes to Nate Lavender of the Mets. He fired a clean sixth, striking out the side on 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) while generating five whiffs (38.5 SwStr%). He’s tossed three clean innings this spring with seven strikeouts (77.8 K%).

Dynasty or Keeper league players alert, Mandy Bell of MLB.com featured three relievers who may be factors in the Guardians bullpen this year, including Franco Aleman.

Until next time, stay safe and be well.

Spring Vibes, March 7: Closer competition updates, Injury Notes, and Game Recaps

Some fantasy owners will avoid closers on teams projected for low win totals (Chicago White Sox; Colorado), but for those who prefer not paying for saves in their leagues, bargains or steam options could emerge on them. This bucket also includes the defending World Champion Texas Rangers, with Bruce Bochy using spring results as a baseline for deciding who becomes the primary save share when the season begins. With this in mind, here’s today’s updates.

Chicago White Sox – He will be eased into high-leverage events in the regular season, but Jordan Leasure could earn save chances as the season progresses. In this post by Daryl Van Schouwen, he provides some intriguing quotes about Leasure’s future with the White Sox. Those in keeper leagues should track his results the rest of spring closely. Right now, he owns a 1.00 WHIP with a 5:2 K:BB (27.3 K-BB%) through three scoreless innings.

More news for the leverage ladder surfaced on MLB.com by Scott Merkin. John Brebbia will throw a side session without his walking boot on Thursday (March 7). It did not provide a timeline for his availability, but Opening Day could be possible, but time will tell how this plays out.

Colorado Rockies – Updating the camp battle for “closer“, Patrick Saunders posted about their spring results so far in his game recap for The Denver Post. As of Wednesday’s game, here are their results:

  • Tyler Kinley: 3 games, 3 IP, 4:2 K:BB, 0.67 WHIP
  • Justin Lawrence: 4 games, 4 IP, 7:0 K:BB, 1.50 WHIP

Texas Rangers –  Two weeks into camp and still no clarity regarding who will be the primary save share when the regular season begins. Tim Cowlishaw, of The Dallas Morning News, provided updates on the four contenders in his bullpen comparison article about competing with their main rival, Houston. Notes included about José Leclerc, Josh Sborz, David Robertson, and Kirby Yates. For this situation, spring results will matter. 

Boston Red Sox – Kenley Jansen will throw his first live batting practice on Wednesday per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic on “X”. As of this writing, there were not updates on how it went. Hopefully, he will appear in a game soon.

Los Angeles Angels – Robert Stephenson completed his bullpen session “pain-free”, and will throw again this weekend, then could appear in game action next week. His status for Opening Day remains in flux, but he’s trended in the right direction. 

San Diego Padres – In AJ Cassavell’s Padres questions remain post for MLB.com, he questions if Yuki Matsui will be ready for Opening Day. If not, he will resume his set-up role during the first full week of the regular season, though back issues can linger. 

Quick Hits (Game Recaps from March 6)

  • Chicago Cubs – Entering in the fourth, Hector Neris allowed two hits, including a solo home run (Jo Adell), and recorded a strikeout. Adbert Alzolay retired the side in order in the fifth.
  • Chicago White Sox – Not only did Prelander Berroa strand both inherited runners in the eighth, but he also fired 1.1 clean frames, striking out three. By my count, he threw 18 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and generated six whiffs (33.3 SwStr%). He did face minor-league hitters for the Dodgers, but an impressive outing nonetheless.
  • Los Angeles Angels – Prospect Kelvin Caceres retired all three batters he faced and stranded an inherited runner in the fourth. Carlos Estévez allowed two hits and two runs (one earned) in the fifth.
  • Miami Marlins – Another sideways outing by Tanner Scott. He allowed three hits and three runs (one earned) before being removed from his outing. The good news is he threw 16 pitches (9 strikes – 56.3 Strike%) with three whiffs (18.8 SwStr%). Max Meyer logged two innings, giving up two hits and an unearned run while striking out one.
  • Pittsburgh Pirates – Getting tagged with his first blown save this spring, Aroldis Chapman allowed three hits and an earned run while striking out one in the bottom of the fifth.

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Spring Vibes, March 6; Debuts for Díaz and Holmes, Miller’s role for Oakland, Suarez ready, and more

New York Mets – Making his spring debut, Edwin Díaz retired the side in order while sitting 96-to-98 m.p.h. with his four-seam fastball per Tim Healey on “X”. 

New York Yankees – Making his spring debut, Clay Holmes fired a clean fourth, striking out one. He threw 11 pitches (8 strikes – 72.7 Strike percentage) with no whiffs. Bill Ladson, of MLB.com, also spoke with the closer about his pending free agency at the end of the season.

Oakland A’s – Martín Gallegos of MLB.com posted his five developments from a promising A’s camp, featuring his thoughts about the role of Mason Miller in the upcoming season. He’s made two appearances this spring, retiring five of six batters faced via strikeout (83.3 K%). Pretty, pretty, pretty good. 

San Diego Padres –  A much better outing on Tuesday for Robert Suarez. He worked a scoreless seventh inning, giving up a hit and striking out two on 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) while producing four whiffs (33.3 SwStr%). He’s also featured by AJ Cassavell for MLB.com, titled ready to be the Padres closer. Kevin Acee, of The San Diego Union-Tribune, also reported Yuki Matsui threw a 30 pitch bullpen session, but the reliever would not speculate on his availability on Opening Day in South Korea. 

Seattle Mariners – Matt Brash played catch at 60 feet and made 25 throws from with no issues, reported by Ryan Divish on “X”. He also reported Gregory Santos did long toss and may throw off the mound in a few days. Stay tuned. 

Quick Hits

  • Arizona Diamondbacks – Paul Sewald fired a clean fifth, striking out one on 11 pitches (6 strikes – 54.5 Strike%) and two whiffs (18.2 SwStr%).
  • Cleveland Guardians – Emmanuel Clase tossed a scoreless fourth, walking one and striking out one. He’s made three appearances, posting a 1.00 WHIP with five strikeouts against one walk.
  • Milwaukee Brewers – A rare rough outing alert for Devin Williams. He allowed two hits, four earned runs, and two walks while striking out one in one–third of the fourth versus the Giants
  • Seattle Mariners – Andrés Muñoz fired a clean fourth. He’s made two appearances this spring and recorded two strikeouts with a 0.50 WHIP.