The Pirates bullpen has gotten four saves during their blistering start to the season. David Bednar hasn’t been responsible for any of them, but Derek Shelton hardly is worrying.
Bednar’s availability to begin the season was in doubt thanks to right lat tightness during spring training, but he didn’t end up requiring an injured list stint and cracked the Opening Day roster.
He wasn’t available for Game 1, which gave Jose Hernandez the opportunity to close out the opener, and Josh Fleming pitched the final three innings of the win over the Marlins on Friday. Bednar’s season debut Saturday, in which he pitched a clean ninth inning, came in a non-save situation.
Bednar’s first save opportunity he blew, with a Nick Gordon home run forcing extra innings, with Hunter Stratton ultimately getting the save that game. In Monday’s win over the Washington Nationals, it was Aroldis Chapman who closed the door in the ninth.
Bednar has established himself as an All-Star caliber closer, and Shelton told Paul Zeise on Tuesday that he has nary a concern about the 29-year-old.
“It’s just getting David back to full strength,” Shelton said. “I didn’t really think his stuff was good the other day. The fastball was really coming out of his hand, he threw one bad split and got it up and it got hit out of the ballpark. But the least of my concerns every night is going to be David Bednar. I think we really know what we have in him, he’s proven that over the last few years being an All-Star closer. He’s become one of the elite closers in the game.
“So, no concern there, I’m just happy he’s healthy, I’m happy we’re starting the season with him active after the spring training injury.”
The silver lining for the Pirates is they’ve been able to see what they have in a few different relievers in high leverage situations. It’s more likely than not Bednar bounces back just fine, and having him locked into the ninth inning role will enable Shelton to comfortably use other relief pitchers in a variety of tight situations.