Tanner Scott may be a rollercoaster in the ninth inning but he’s all the Marlins have to turn to at the moment, which does give him a boost in the rankings as we know how much more valuable having the closer role is than a setup role. The walks have been and continue to be the biggest concern for me as the last thing you want to see is your closer walk the lead-off hitter while trying to protect a one-run lead. Scott’s increased slider usage (38.8% in 2020, 51.6% in 2021, 71.1% in 2022) obviously doesn’t help fix this, but it should help limit hard contact against as well as lead to a higher K rate. Whether it’s ideal or not, Scott is the best option for the Marlins to turn to right now, and while it will likely be a bumpy road ahead, at least you have the strikeout (and save) upside to look forward to.
Notes
- At this point, there shouldn’t be any mistake that Clay Holmes is the Yankees’ closer for the rest of the season (as long as he remains healthy) even after Aroldis Chapman returns. Holmes is basically a right-handed version of prime Zack Britton right now and there’s no reason to take that skillset away from the closer role. How things shape up behind him whenever this bullpen gets healthy remains to be seen but you can definitely trust Holmes to be there in the ninth.
- Ryan Pressly had his worst blown save of the season last night against the Yankees, allowing four earned on three hits and two walks while getting just one out. Prior to the outing he had allowed just two runs over his last 14.1 innings, but his velocity remains down and his 19.5% K rate is concerning. He’s moving into that Craig Kimbrel territory of “will they be able to turn things around before getting replaced”.
- Colin Poche may be the Rays’ lefty of choice in the ninth inning of games, but I still prefer another lefty in this bullpen for SV+HLD’s purposes as I feel more comfortable with Brooks Raley’s ability to miss bats as he isn’t strictly fastball dependent like Poche. Poche has been working on a curveball but it’s not exactly an “out” pitch yet (13% Whiff, 13% PutAway) so the best we can hope for is 2015 Jake McGee I suppose?
- Speaking of lefties who struggle to strike hitters out, it looks like A.J. Puk may get a chance to close out games for the A’s although he and Zach Jackson melted down in the first save attempt following the Dany Jiménez injury. I wouldn’t go overboard adding Puk but he is definitely worth a look for those in desperate need of saves in deeper leagues as I’d still trust him over anyone else in this bullpen at the moment.
- Jason Adam, John Brebbia, Emmanuel Clase, Rafael Montero, Héctor Neris, Colin Poche, John Schreiber and Devin Williams each had 3 SV+HLD’s this past week. Five of the eight names here we would not have imagined having set up roles on MLB teams this year about three months ago. It goes to show you how volatile and unpredictable this high leverage “position” is around the league but it also makes stories like John Schreiber’s fun and interesting to follow.
Injured List
| PITCHER | TIER | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Hendriks | 1-2 | Forearm. The initial timetable for Hendriks was 3 weeks, so look for his return in the coming weeks |
| Aroldis Chapman | 3-5 | Achilles. Could return sometime next week but isn’t expected to return to his typical closer role. |
| Drew Pomeranz | 3-5 | Flexor Tendon. On the 60-day IL so don’t expect to see him until July. Progressing to bullpens. |
| Nick Anderson | 3-5 | UCL. Still out until (at least) after the All-Star break. Has done some mound work but still experiencing discomfort. |
| Alexis Díaz | 3-5 | Bicep. Díaz has been able to play catch after landing on the IL so the injury shouldn’t keep him out long |
| 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. Playing catch now |
| Jonathan Loáisiga | 3-5 | Shoulder. Could complete a bullpen this week, still a ways away. Would need a rehab assignment. |
| J.P. Feyereisen | 4-6 | Shoulder. Feeling better but still not throwing. Likely out a few more weeks. |
| Jonathan Hernández | 4-6 | TJS. On the 60-day IL, rehabbing at AAA and could be back in the next week. |
| Pete Fairbanks | 4-6 | Torn Lat. Could face hitters this week (June 27) so perhaps he’ll return in July. |
| Trevor May | 4-6 | Arm. Stress reaction will cause May to miss a minimum of 8-12 weeks. Throwing again. |
| Lucas Sims | 4-6 | Back. Has begun a throwing program but no rehab date as of now |
| Tyler Matzek | 4-6 | Shoulder. Matzek is looking to begin a rehab assignment next week. |
| Aaron Bummer | 4-6 | Lat. Bummer has had trouble staying on the field this season, with a lat strain as his most recent injury. |
Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Thoughts on Matt Moore? He’s looked great out of the pen and even picked up a save this week
I was just going to ask about Moore! Baseball Savant page looks great, and Matt Bush just went on the IL. I think Moore’s stock is about to rise.