There could certainly be a debate as to who the most valuable Rays reliever to roster is right now, but I still think it’s Andrew Kittredge and by a fairly wide margin, and this is coming from a huge Brooks Raley fan. Now could be the best time to target Kittredge as managers may be worried about him only have four SV+HLD’s. He’s still second on the team in SV/HLD’s + Wins (6) while leading the team in saves. It was always highly doubtful he’d repeat his 2021 All-Star season but Kittredge is still a rock in the back of his Rays pen, no matter how or when he is used.
Notes
- I know Jhoan Duran hasn’t pitched in a week so it’s weird to see him move up so much. Be patient with him here as he is clearly the most talented option in that Twins bullpen and should be a difference maker.
- David Robertson was added to the Covid IL this week so we have no idea how long he may be out for, but he has been one of the best closers in baseball so when he returns, be sure to plug him back into your lineups.
- Jorge López missed a couple of games on the bereavement list, allowing for Felix Bautista to pick up two saves. I doubt we will see any closer controversy here, so López’s job should be safe for now. That said, Bautista is a very interesting reliever to keep an eye on in deeper leagues.
- The Anthony Bender closer roller coaster experience appears to be off (for now) but we definitely can’t say for certain, especially with Dylan Floro’s 3 ER debut this week. Perhaps it will be Anthony Bass’s turn next, but his turn in the closer role didn’t exactly pan out last season.
- I wonder if we are finally nearing the end of the road for Mark Melancon as a closer in this league. The 37 year old has seen a dip in his velocity this year and just isn’t what you want in a closer with his 7.7% K rate and .338 xBA. The problem here is, the Diamondbacks are really lacking ninth inning options.
- Joe Barlow, Corey Knebel, Dillon Tate, and Joey Krehbiel led all relievers with 3 SV+HLD over the past week. It’s interesting to see a pair of Orioles here, neither of which cracked the top 100 (Tate is closer) and with reinforcements on the way in Baltimore, perhaps we will get consistent value from this bullpen this season.
Injured List
| PITCHER | TIER | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Drew Pomeranz | 3-5 | Flexor Tendon. On the 60 day IL so don’t expect to see him until June/July. Playing catch now |
| Nick Anderson | 3-5 | UCL. Still likely out until (at least) the All-Star break. Has thrown of the mound some. |
| Ken Giles | 3-5 | Finger tendon injury. Moved to the 60 day IL, cleared to resume throwing though. |
| Kirby Yates | 3-5 | TJS. Don’t expect to see Yates until after the All-Star break (at the earliest). Has been throwing off a mound. |
| Blake Treinen | 3-5 | Shoulder. Now out until after the All-Star break. |
| José Leclerc | 4-6 | TJS. On the 60 day IL, expect a late June/July return |
| Jonathan Hernández | 4-6 | TJS. On the 60 day IL, expect a late June/July return |
| Pete Fairbanks | 4-6 | Torn Lat. Tough break for Fairbanks who will now miss at least 3 months of the season. Look for him to be back around the All-Star break. |
| Trevor May | 4-6 | Arm. Stress reaction will cause May to miss a minimum of 8-12 weeks. Could return in August. |
| Aaron Bummer | 4-6 | Knee. Should be a short IL stint but the team will likely play it safe. Look for a return in early June. |
| Lucas Sims | 4-6 | Back. Will miss the next two weeks at least with a bulging disc. Likely June ETA. |
| Pierce Johnson | 5-6 | Elbow. Moved to the 60-day IL so don’t expect to see him until August. |
| James Karinchak | 5-6 | Shoulder. A teres muscle strain has shut down Karinchak for the time being, with no timetable to date. Perhaps late May is still realistic but likely June. |
| Jorge Alcala | 5-7 | Elbow. Also on the 60 day IL with no timetable to return. |
| Jake Cousins | 5-7 | Elbow Effusion. Concerns about Cousins UCL but he will go the rest/rehab route instead of getting surgery. Still likely won’t return before the All-Star break |
| Josh Taylor | 5-7 | Back. Moved to the 60 day IL, so he won’t be back until June now. |
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
In SVHD, my RPs Pressly, T Rogers, D Williams, Kittredge, J Duran. I felt really great about these five a few weeks ago. Now I’m doubting. Would ya look to shake it up or stay the course? Ty!
I noticed that you haven’t dropped Diego Castillo much even with this brutal last couple of weeks for him. Is that a vote of confidence that he’ll get back to being him going forward or something else?
I have a hard time justifying dropping Loup (my worst ranked RP according to the list) for Scott Barlow (highest ranked FA in this list in my league) or even Loaisiga (such a deep stacked Yankees bullpen!). Would you do that switch for either?