by Jason Martinez
No 'Reliever Roundup' for the next month but you still get 'Relievers on the Rise' every Tuesday. Two former closers, who are 'back on the rise' after losing some steam in the last year, top the list.
RELIEVERS ON THE RISE
Jim Johnson, RHP - Baltimore Orioles: The 27 year-old, who had a 2.23 ERA and 19 holds for the O's in 2008 and 10 saves and 14 holds in 2009, is rebounding nicely after missing most of last season with an elbow injury. With Koji Uehara, Kevin Gregg, and Mike Gonzalez as bullpen mates, Johnson may have been a forgotten man coming into the season. But the 6'5" right-hander has a 3.07 ERA and a team-leading 7 holds thus far with 26 K's and only 5 walks in 29.1 innings. With Uehara a possible trade candidate if the O's fall further out of the AL East race (they're currently 5 games back but in last place), Johnson would be the primary setup man for Gregg.
Matt Lindstrom, RHP - Colorado Rockies: Like Johnson, Lindstrom is a former closer so being 'on the rise' is not unfamiliar to him. The 31 year-old had 43 career saves and 45 holds coming into the season but he lost his closer's job to Brandon Lyon midway through last season and was subsequently traded in the offseason to Colorado for two fringe minor leaguers. Behind setup men Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle on the depth chart to start the season, the 31 year-old has been the most reliable reliever on the team with a 1.21 ERA, 2 saves, and 8 holds. Although his 6.9 K/9 is low for a guy who throws in the mid-90's, Lindstrom does not allow a lot of solid contact as evidenced by the .205 batting average opponents have managed against him. He should continue in a late-inning setup role and appears to be the most likely option to close out games if Huston Street isn't available for any reason.
Logan Ondrusek, RHP - Cincinnati Reds: With setup man Nick Masset struggling early in the season and Aroldis Chapman struggling earlier this month before landing on the DL, the Reds have needed other relievers to step up and Ondrusek has been up to the task. The 26 year-old has a 1.74 ERA in a team-leading 29 relief appearances and is tied for the lead in holds with six. He's also on a streak of 10.1 consecutive innings without allowing a run. Unless Chapman returns and begins to dominate again (he's allowed 7 ER in 3.2 IP over his last two rehab appearances), Ondrusek should continue to play an important role late in games for the Reds.
Click HERE for the 'Relievers on the Rise' archive.
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