Jovani Moran had three SV+HLD’s this past week to lead all relievers. I’m sure no one was expecting to hear that name at the top of the weekly leaderboard, but I for one am kind of excited about this as Moran was one of my favorite preseason sleepers. Walks are still an issue but he has been pitching better over his past 5.1 IP with just 1 hit allowed and a 7/3 K/BB ratio. He could rise up this list quickly if he can keep putting together quality weeks.
Notes
- Pete Fairbanks currently has a 1.69 ERA and yet I think we are all still concerned about his rest of season outlook. The good news is, his velocity is finally starting to creep upward, as we was able to average 98 on his fastball in his last outing and was at 98.7 two outings ago. The whiffs are still absent though, and he’s already ditched that splitter that was being hyped up this spring. It’s good to see the velo return at least and hopefully, the whiffs will follow shortly.
- On the flip side, Erik Swanson has seen his velo dip over the last couple of outings (in which he’s allowed 6 ER over 2.2 IP) so there is definitely a little bit of concern here. Swanson is usually in the 93-94 MPH range but the last two times out averaged 92 MPH. It may just be some arm fatigue, but it’s definitely worth monitoring.
- Michael King has been lights out this season, especially as of late, so why is he falling down the ranks this week? Well, it doesn’t appear that he will be seeing save chances anytime soon with it looking like Clay Holmes and Wandy Peralta are ahead of him in the pecking order. Not only that, but King only has ONE hold on the season so far, which came back on April 8th. Theres still a lot to like about King, just don’t expect a ton of SV+HLD totals.
- Kendall Graveman has been fine so far this season and hasn’t even allowed a run in May, but once closer Liam Hendriks returns, he’ll likely fall back into a secondary setup role with how dominant Joe Kelly has been this season. Graveman’s 4.97 xFIP and 13.4% K-BB rate don’t exactly spark confidence.
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. Is back with the team and could return next week. |
| José Alvarado | 1/2 | Elbow. Should begin throwing this week and could return in a few weeks. |
| Andrés Muñoz | 1/2 | Deltoid. Has resumed throwing and could start rehab assignment shortly. |
| A.J. Puk | 2/3 | Elbow/Nerve. Is already throwing again and could return by the end of May. |
| Daniel Hudson | 5/6 | Knee. Moved to 60-day IL and won’t return until June now. Still no timetable. |
| John Schreiber | 6/7 | Lat. No timetable to return yet, and lat strains can be tricky. |
| Tommy Kahnle | 6/7 | Bicep. Started his rehab assignment 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. |
| Joe Mantiply | 6/7 | Hamstring. No word on the severity yet so no timetable. |
| Matt Bush | 7/8 | Shoulder. Shut down for 2-4 weeks before being reevaluated. |
| Caleb Thielbar | 7/8 | Oblique. Moderate oblique strain will keep him out for a few weeks. |
| Codi Heuer | 8 | TJS (3/7/22). Should begin a rehab assignment soon. |
No Kyle Finnegan?
He’s been awesome for me.
I think you’re switching Taylor and Tyler Rogers here
Matt Brash has been overrated all season for one reason and one only — an obsession with Ks. He has not been good for the most part.
Get Brock Stewart onto this list.
Joe Jimenez can come right off this list too.