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 an excellent 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
- Eight teams are off on Monday: BOS, MIN, NYM, CHC, SD, LAD, COL, SF.
Transaction Notes
- San Francisco Giants placed Jake McGee on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
- Boston Red Sox activated Matt Barnes from the 10-day injured list.
- Chicago Cubs placed Manuel Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
- Los Angeles Angels placed Junior Guerra on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.
Yesterday’s Performances
- Matt Barnes returned from the IL yesterday and worked a scoreless eighth inning with the Red Sox up by six. However he did allow two baserunners, his velocity was down about 2 MPH, and his spin rates down over 100 RPM’s. There’s still a chance he can reenter the high leverage mix by next week, but there’s still some work to do.
- Gregory Soto allowed three earned while failing to record an out in the ninth yesterday, but was also hit with a comebacker that led to him getting X-rays on his hand after the game. He stayed in the game after being hit but the ball was not coming out of his hand the same, and the spin rate on his slider was way down. If Soto were to miss time, Michael Fulmer could finish the season out as the teams closer.
- The Mariners closer carousel continues to churn as they changed up the order once again last night, with Drew Steckenrider starting the seventh, followed by Paul Sewald and Diego Castillo finished things off (albeit with a four-run lead). It’s certainly tough to guess who will get a save on any given night, but at this point, I think it’s safe to say all three are rosterable, just not preferred closing options.
- With Andrew Chafin getting the night off after pitching back-to-back days, the A’s turned to Sergio Romo to close things out on Friday. Romo worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his third save of the season. Romo now has back-to-back scoreless outings after allowing nine earned over his previous 2.2 innings. He should continue to be in the high leverage mix for Oakland, but Chafin remains closer 1A.
- Kyle Finnegan blew his fourth save of the season and licked up his eighth loss after allowing three hits and two earned against the Rockies at home last night. That’s now six earned runs allowed over his last two appearances, putting him squarely on the hot seat in Washington. It’s worth noting the last time Finnegan reached 61 IP in a professional season was in 2016 when he finished with 63.2 innings. Andres Machado could be next in line, but it’s probably best to just avoid this situation.
- Will Smith blew his six save of the year, allowing a game-tying home run to Donovan Solano on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth. The 2021 season has certainly been a mixed bag for Smith, but he has done a good job of following up his poor outings with a stretch of good ones, which is why he hasn’t been in danger of losing his job yet.
- Ian Kennedy got the final four outs in the Phillies 4-3 win over the Mets yesterday, in what was a much-needed scoreless outing for the veteran. Kennedy was likely one blown save away from losing the closer role, but this should give him some breathing room. The Phils play seven games next week at home against the Orioles and Pirates, so Kennedy makes for one of the better closer options for what is for many championship week.
- Despite allowing a run, Michael Lorenzen was able to hold on in the ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season. Closer Mychal Givens had pitched the previous two days, leaving Lorenzen as the next man up for the night. Despite a 4.50 ERA in September, it’s great to see him yet to walk anyone over his last nine innings, leading to a 1.00 WHIP.
- Rowan Wick blew his second save of the season last night, allowing three hits, two walks, and four earned while getting just two outs in the bottom of the eighth against the Brewers. He now has just one save over the past two weeks. His eighth-inning usage shouldn’t be cause for alarm that he may have lost the closer role, as he’s been making quite a few two-inning appearances this month.
- Josh Hader was able to capitalize on the other end of this game, as he recorded his 32nd save of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out one. Hader’s usage has really decreased since the All-Star break (16.1 IP) as he’s dealt with Covid but I’d imagine the team is also looking to limit him down the stretch to ensure he’s fresh for October.
- Chris Stratton has put together six straight solid outings for the Pirates, picking up four saves during that stretch as David Bednar remains out with an oblique issue. Bednar has resumed throwing and could make it back before the season ends, but at this point could just as well be shut down for the season.
- Carlos Estévez danced around two hits to lock down his ninth save of the season, and while September hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Estévez, this does mark four straight scoreless appearances for him. Jhoulys Chacín blew the lead in the eighth, making that three games in a row with earned runs allowed.
- Tyler Clippard was charged with his third blown save of the season yesterday, allowing a hit, two walks, two runs, and a walk-off hit by pitch against in the bottom of the tenth against the Astros. While it was a particularly bad outing, it was just Clippard’s first outing allowing runs this month.
- With closer Jake McGee hitting the IL yesterday with an oblique strain, it was Tyler Rogers turn to close things out last night for the Giants. He proceeded to allow three earned runs for his sixth blown save of the year, but there shouldn’t be much concern here. With McGee out, Rogers is still a must-add in almost all leagues.
Bullpen Depth Charts