Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak, Evan Phillips, and Will Smith each had three SV+HLD’s this past week. Smith has gotten off to a solid start, but I don’t want to get too excited with his 4.07 xFIP and 91 Stuff+ due to a poor fastball, not exactly something you want from a closer. He’s looking like the same guy from the past three seasons so expect an ERA around 3.50 and WHIP around 1.20 with a K rate near 30%. Those numbers are fine, especially if he’s racking up saves as well.
Notes
- The Royals bullpen has done a 180 over the past month with Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow having their ups and downs this season. Since April 22nd, Chapman has an 8.10 ERA (4.13 xFIP), 1.95 WHIP, and 12.1% K-BB ratio while Barlow has a 0 ERA (1.58 xFIP), .78 WHIP, and 34.5% K-BB ratio. With Chapman garnering trade interest, my early-season concerns about Barlow losing his closer role are dissipating.
- While we have a good read on most bullpens, there still remain a few where we aren’t quite sure who the “closer” is yet. The Cubs have turned to Adbert Alzolay recently to close out games, and I think regardless of his exact role, it’s clear they will be using him in high-leverage spots moving forward. The Phillies will likely turn to Craig Kimbrel first in the wake of José Alvarado’s injury, and while he’s actually been ok this season, I still prefer Seranthony Domínguez or Gregory Soto.
- Matt Brash may have a 5.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP but that does come with an absurd .556 BABIP and his 42.3% K and 37.3% CSW rates, plus 2.02 xFIP show that there is an extremely talented reliever here with loads of upside. With Andrés Muñoz now out until the All-Star break potentially, Brash has time to lock down a set up role and should be on your radar in leagues where available.
- I guess Reynaldo López is still the acting White Sox closer, and while the stuff looks good and he’s getting plenty of whiffs, he really needs to find a way to limit hard contact and home runs before we can fully trust him.
- Rafael Montero has allowed 7 ER over 2.2 IP this month and while the underlying metrics don’t scream out that there is a major cause for concern, this Astros bullpen is very deep and you have to wonder if Montero is actually one of the top 3-4 relievers here.
- Pierce Johnson continues to act as the Rockies closer and is now up to 5 saves on the season, but (similarly to Smith) his fastball is really bad and I don’t love that for a closer pitching half his games in Coors. Also, the high curveball usage leads to a ton of walks, as his 1.74 WHIP will show. Nothing to get excited about here.
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. Beginning rehab at AAA and could return by the end of the month. |
| José Alvarado | 1/2 | Elbow. Won’t throw for a few days due to inflammation but at least the MRI was clean. |
| Andrés Muñoz | 1/2 | Deltoid. MRI showed inflammation and he’ll be shut down for a few days. Not back until June now. |
| Pete Fairbanks | 2/3 | Forearm. Is expected to just miss the minimum time but is shut down for now. |
| Daniel Hudson | 5/6 | Knee. Moved to 60-day IL and won’t return until June now. |
| Brooks Raley | 6/7 | Elbow. considered minor and could return after minimum time on IL |
| Tommy Kahnle | 6/7 | Bicep. Starting a rehab assignment soon and should return by early June |
| Robert Suarez | 6/7 | Elbow. Shut down from throwing after experiencing pain in the elbow. |
| Jonathan Loáisiga | 6/7 | Elbow. Underwent surgery and will be out until August. |
| Matt Bush | 7/8 | Shoulder. Shut down for 2-4 weeks before being reevaluated. |
| Brandon Hughes | 7/8 | Knee. His knee is still acting up and will now keep Hughes out for a while longer. |
| Garrett Crochet | 8 | TJS (4/5/22). Began rehab assignment and is preparing for a multi-inning role. |
| Codi Heuer | 8 | TJS (3/7/22). Should begin a rehab assignment soon. |
