David Bednar, a two-time All-Star closer, was placed on the disabled list by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, with effect from Thursday. Aroldis Chapman’s decision to come out of the PNC Park bullpen on Saturday to preserve a 4-2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays was somewhat unexpected. Chapman gave up a run but prevented a 4-3 win. Following the match, it was revealed that Bednar had been sidelined due to tightness in his left side and had been held out of the game as a precaution.
Since it was discovered that a tight lat muscle was the cause of the problem, prudence has evolved into extreme caution. Bednar missed the majority of the spring training because of a stiff lat muscle on his right side. Bednar thus got off to a sluggish start. Though he gave up two pointless solo home runs to seal victories over the Colorado Rockies on June 14 and the St. Louis Cardinals on June 11, he has been doing a little better lately. Bednar has a 3-3 record, 16 saves, and a 5.17 ERA heading into the IL. There’s little chance of a third straight All-Star selection.
After the Pirates signed Chapman to a $10.5 million contract through 2024, the bullpen was seen as a strength. Ryan Borucki, Carmen Mlodzinski, and Colin Holderman were among the holdovers in the lock-down bullpen that Chapman would be joining. Regretfully, this season hasn’t seen the five relievers on the active roster at the same time. Now that Borucki is on a rehab assignment following a period on the injured list, the Pirates lose Bednar.
Only Holderman has done as expected out of this group. At the end of Saturday’s play, his WHIP was.938 and his ERA was 0.68. Chapman has had highs and lows, though. Due to prolonged periods of craziness (27 walks in 27 innings), Chapman’s ERA is 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.667. He hasn’t lived up to expectations. Following his time on the IL, Mlodzinski is attempting to adjust. He has failed to return to his late-inning position and has only been utilized as an opener in bullpen games. His numbers show a 1.450 WHIP and a 4.50 ERA.
In Bednar’s absence, manager Derek Shelton probably won’t designate one pitcher as the closer. We should see either Holderman or Chapman in the ninth inning, depending on matchups. The eighth will likely be pitched by whoever doesn’t pitch the ninth. Holderman is unlikely to be phased by the thought of closing, but Chapman has a ton of experience doing so.
To replace Bednar on the roster, the Pirates have summoned lefty Justin Bruihl from triple-A Indianapolis. Just six days prior, the Bucs called up Daulton Jefferies, which resulted in Bruihl’s demotion. Bruihl worked well in Pittsburgh on his prior assignment there. His 6.75 ERA obscures the real picture since it was tainted by one poor performance last week against the Rockies.