Welcome back to Relievers to Stream for Wins and Saves! This will bring you up-to-date bullpen depth charts every morning for the day’s games and makes for a great tool for those of you looking to stream saves or wins. This series runs seven days a week, so be sure to check in every morning to get your daily bullpen fix!
Notes
Schedule Notes
- All 30 teams were in action on Tuesday, and with all 30 teams scheduled to play today, we could see some extra save opportunities after 10 established closers recorded saves yesterday.
- Eric Lauer has been called up to start for the Brewers today. Lauer has impressed in two starts and two relief appearances so far this year; however, he goes up against a strong Padres lineup. After Josh Lindblom pitched in long relief yesterday, Trevor Richards could be in line to vulture a win if Lauer is held to a pitch count.
- Top Blue Jays pitching prospect Alek Manoah makes his Major League debut today against the Yankees. Manoah has gone exactly six innings in each of his starts in the minors but could make way early in his first step up to the bigs. It is hard to predict an established go-to guy for Toronto after Trent Thornton threw 32 pitches yesterday. Ty Tice has been called up from the minors and could get the nod despite a less than impressive 5.14 ERA in seven innings of relief so far in 2021.
- Triston McKenzie will make a spot start today for Cleveland after two rough outings against the Mariners and the Twins. Phil Maton is likely to be first out of the bullpen in relief.
Injuries and Transactions
- All expectations point to Mets reliever Seth Lugo being activated from the injured list today. Lugo will join a bullpen that has found some consistency in recent outings. Lugo figures to take a high-leverage role right away.
- The Brewers activated reliever Eric Yardley from the 10-day injured list. Yardley will be essential in filling the void left by the trade that sent Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen to the Rays.
Yesterday’s Performances
- Despite giving up a leadoff double to Cole Tucker in the bottom of the ninth inning, veteran Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel made short work of the next three batters he faced to earn his 10th save of the season. In the midst of a career renaissance, Kimbrel has rewarded those who still believed in his stuff in pre-season fantasy drafts to the tune of 33 strikeouts in 20 innings so far this season.
- Another veteran getting it done yesterday was Phillies closer Héctor Neris, who notched his eighth save of the year in the 2-0 win over the Marlins. Seeing his first save opportunity since May 13, Neris had little trouble in seeing off the middle of the Marlins order. Neris has not given up a run in six straight outings and is locked into the closing role in Philadelphia.
- After a slow and shaky start to his career as a member of the White Sox, Liam Hendriks has been fantastic recently and hasn’t given up an earned run in 11 straight appearances. Called upon in the ninth after Garrett Crochet loaded the bases with nobody out, Hendriks showed why the White Sox gave him a $54 million contract in the offseason by striking out three straight hitters to earn his 10th save and notch his team a crucial win over the high-flying Cardinals.
- Edwin Díaz slammed the door shut on the Rockies to make it 12 successive converted save opportunities for the Mets dating back to last season. Another three strikeouts bring Díaz’s total Ks to 26 in just 19 1/3 innings so far this season.
- Could we have an answer to the four-way closer muddle in Cincinnati? Probably not, but last week I said that Lucas Sims is the best option in that bullpen, and so-it-was that he was called upon to grab the final out and record his first save since April 13. Amir Garrett started the ninth but gave up a home run to Josh Bell, forcing Reds manager David Bell to go to Sims to close the game out. With Tejay Antone brought on early in this one, throwing 33 pitches in 2 2/3 innings, Sims could be in line for another save opportunity today.
- The Twins also have a muddle at the back of the bullpen, but Taylor Rogers did himself no harm yesterday by registering the final four outs in the 7-4 win victory over the Orioles. Hansel Robles and Alex Colomé, Rogers’ main competition for saves in Minnesota, preceded the southpaw in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively – Colomé gave up a longball to DJ Stewart, prompting Rocco Baldelli to call for Rogers to see the game out. Rogers now has three saves on the season.
- An unconvincing outing on Monday from Emmanuel Clase was followed by an equally unconvincing showing from James Karinchak yesterday in Cleveland’s 4-1 win over the Tigers. Both pitchers earned saves, however, and the situation in Cleveland is very much fluid when it comes to who gets the call on any given night. Both should be rostered and relied upon to be productive going forward.
- Another in the shaky but productive mold is Braves closer, Will Smith – despite having an ugly four losses on his slate this season, Smith is still 8-for-8 in save opportunities for his club. Given that he has also struck out 26 hitters over 19 innings makes him a solid fantasy option for the remainder of the season.
- Kyle Zimmer came from nowhere to record the save for the Royals over the Rays yesterday despite a fresh Josh Staumont available from the bullpen. Zimmer was effective though, forcing Francisco Mejia to ground into a double play to end the game and earn his second save of the season. Zimmer is a former first-round pick of the Royals and has been in stellar form this year. Four of his five earned runs have come in one outing, and he has shut out the opposition in six straight outings. It is a situation to keep an eye on in Kansas City.
- With Kendall Graveman on the injured list due to COVID, the Mariners have deployed both Keynan Middleton and Rafael Montero in save opportunities in back-to-back days. Montero gave up two hits but escaped with the save against the A’s. He has now pitched on consecutive nights, so Middleton is the likely guy today.
Bullpen Depth Charts