Blue Jays bullpen getting overworked in a hurry

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays’ starting pitchers have had their fair share of struggles so far this season. While a struggling starting five is a problem by itself, it’s negative impact is compounded when you consider the effect that short outings have on the workload of the pitchers in the pen.

The Blue Jays bullpen has been excellent this season. The unlikely group of hurlers has been fantastic at holding leads and shutting down opposing offenses. Despite having a few blown saves, the pen as a whole has been undoubtedly terrific.

One thing that hasn’t been so terrific about the pen is the number of innings they’ve pitched. With the starting five going an average of 5.2 innings per start, it’s not difficult to see how this could potentially become a problem as the season progresses. Keegan Matheson of Baseball Toronto crunched the numbers and found something quite alarming.

Matheson notes that through the first 37 games of the season, Blue Jays relievers Tyler Clippard, Ryan Tepera and Seung-hwan Oh are on pace for 88, 83 and 74 appearances respectively. Clippard’s career high is 75 (2014 with WSN), Tepera’s is 73 (2017), and Oh’s is 76 (2016 with STL). Additionally, John Axford is on pace for 70 appearances. His career high is 75, which came during the 2012 season. During that season, he closed for the Brewers, pitching 69.1 innings.

It’s less than ideal that the veterans like Clippard and Axford are projected to approach their career highs in appearances. Given their age and the known volatility of right-handed relievers, overworking them could either injure them or cause them to start to scuffle. In the dog days of the summer, it’s especially important to conserve arms as best you can, with relievers being perhaps the most important.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

With closer Roberto Osuna on the shelf for an indefinite period of time, the above pitchers become even more important to the team’s success. John Gibbons has noted that Oh, Clippard and Axford will share closing duties in Osuna’s absence. Closing games will only increase their game totals.

To be fair, Clippard and Axford (who are the most concerning), have been outstanding through the first month and a half. Clippard (4-0, 1.40 ERA) has pitched 19.1 frames, while Axford (0-0, 1.47 ERA) has thrown 18.1 innings. The two have formidably eaten up innings late in the game, and have shown signs of keeping it up.

When it’s all said and done, the Blue Jays truly need a long man out of the pen. Whether it’s Joe Biagini, Jake Petricka or Ryan Borucki, they need one. It doesn’t matter whether it’s internal or external, this team needs to find someone to eat up innings during a blowout, and mop up frames when they’re behind.

As the Jays continue a pivotal series against the Boston Red Sox, the bullpen continues to be a vital part of this team’s success. If they want to have any chance of sticking around, they should seriously consider adding another arm to their bullpen.

Next: Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Harkened to Adrian Beltre