Carlos Estévez, Josh Hader, Matt Moore and Gregory Soto each had 3 SV+HLD’s this past week. Moore may not be blowing anyone away, but he’s established himself as a very effective reliever over the past two seasons, and given the volatility of guys like Estévez and José Quijada, he may wind up being the most trustworthy reliever in that Angels bullpen by the time the season is over. Despite the headaches someone like Estévez may provide, we saw this past week why many were excited about taking a flier on him late in drafts this year and has now allowed just one baserunner over his past 4.2 IP.
Notes
- Andrew Chafin has taken control of the Diamondbacks closer role it appears, as he has converted 3 of the teams past 4 saves with his most recent coming on Wednesday. Chafin currently holds impressive 35.7 K%, 36.6% CSW and 18.3% SwStr rates to go along with a 1.65 xERA as his slider continues to be one of the best secondaries in baseball. Miguel Castro looks like the next man up in this bullpen, with All-Star Joe Mantiply likely to work into a setup role eventually.
- Two interim closers have struggled this past week in A.J. Minter and Reynaldo López. Minter has allowed 10 ER over his past 3.2 IP, with 5 of those coming against the Marlins last night. I still like him in a set up role for the Braves (5.48 PLV), and with Raisel Iglesias already making rehab appearances at the AAA level, that could happen sooner than later. López figures to have another month or so to close out games as Liam Hendriks is just starting to ramp up his baseball activities, and there’s still tons of upside with Reynaldo (38.8% K rate) but he needs to keep the ball in the yard and limit walks.
- José Leclerc and Daniel Bard may have good looking ratio’s at the moment, but that should come with a beware of regression label as both have seen their fastball velocity dip 2.5 MPH this season. Leclerc is still getting whiffs however, and despite the lower velocity, still boasts elite spin rates, but has been the case in the past with him, the walk rate (20.6%) is not sustainable. Bard has been leaning heavily on his slider so far, which hasn’t led to any walk issues yet but remains something to monitor for Bard who’s always been known for his velocity.
- Michael Fulmer is out as the Cubs closer and it seems that Brad Boxberger will get the first chance to replace him (although I don’t think that may last long either). I still kind of like Fulmer, and wouldn’t give up on him in NL-Only or deep SV+HLD’s leagues, but there remain higher upside plays in this bullpen such as Brandon Hughes (40.9% K and 72.7% GB rates), Adbert Alzolay, Michael Rucker or even (if they ever let him pitch again) Jeremiah Estrada.
And if you want more daily reliever updates, please check out our Reliever Ranks series.
Injured List
| PITCHER | TIER | INJURY (SURGERY DATE). NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Hendriks | 1/2 | NHL. Still no timetable to return, but the great news is that he is now cancer free. He may be back by the end of May at this rate. |
| Raisel Iglesias | 1/2 | Shoulder. Started rehab assignment this week and should return in early May. |
| Andrés Muñoz | 1/2 | Deltoid. Should begin a rehab assignment shortly and hopefully return in mid-May |
| Daniel Hudson | 5/6 | Knee. Moved to 60-day IL and won’t return until June now. |
| Chris Martin | 6/7 | Shoulder. Starting rehab assignment tonight and could return next week. |
| Sam Hentges | 6/7 | Shoulder. Has made 4 rehab appearances, and should be back shortly. |
| Tommy Kahnle | 7/8 | Bicep. Transferred to 60-day IL and threw a 15 pitch side session this week. |
| Robert Suarez | 7/8 | Elbow. Shut down from throwing after experiencing pain in elbow. |
| Jonathan Loáisiga | 7/8 | Elbow. Resumed throwing but is experiencing soreness still. |
| Matt Bush | 8/9 | Shoulder. Shut down for 2-4 weeks before being reevaluated. |
| Drew Pomeranz | 8/9 | Elbow. Moved rehab to AAA this week and should be back in early May. |
| Garrett Crochet | 9/10 | TJS (4/5/22). Should return around/before the All-Star break. |
| Codi Heuer | 9/10 | TJS (3/7/22). Look for Heuer to be activated by June if his rehab goes well. |
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by John Cordes / Icon Sportswire
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