COVID Stint Doesnt Slow Down Chad Kuhl in Move to Bullpen
At the beginning of the 2021 season, Chad Kuhl looked like a broken starting pitcher. He had trouble just getting out of the first inning, and control issues plagued him throughout the early part of the season. He had a 6.32 ERA through the month of May and was not pitching like the Opening Day starter that he was named coming out of Spring Training. He had walked 16 batters and struck out 14 batters over 15.2 innings of work. He had an opponents batting average of .222, but his control issues were setting him up for failure every time out. He ended up landing on the 10-day IL with "right shoulder discomfort" and would be shut down for nearly a month before going on a rehab assignment.
He came back at the end of June and, after a sub-par June, he came back with a vengeance in July. Over his four July starts, Kuhl posted a 2.91 ERA over 21.2 innings of work. However, just when it looked like he was getting into a groove, he found himself on the IL again. This time, it was the COVID IL as he had to be away from the team. It was a longer stay than most people anticipated, with Kuhl on the shelf for 18 days, and when he came back, Manager Derek Shelton was concerned about his innings workload. Instead of thrusting him back into the starting rotation, he started coming out of the bullpen and has continued to thrive in that role. Today, we look at Kuhl's success in relief and how he is using adjustments he made after his first IL stint to become a more effective pitcher.
Gaining His Control
Whether it was because of his shoulder injury or not, at the beginning of the season, Chad Kuhl could not find his control. He walked 16 batters in 15.2 innings of work and that isn't even good for a high school or college pitcher let alone a Major League arm. Because he wasn't controlling his pitches, Big League hitters were taking advantage, drawing walks and clobbering the pitches that he did get over the plate. During that first month of the season, Kuhl gave up four home runs in four starts and saw his opponent batting average jump from .125 on Opening Day to .222 by the time he headed to the IL with his shoulder injury. Since he has been back, he has been a completely different pitcher, and that has reflected in the stat line.
Over the 10 starts since his return from injury, Kuhl has limited the home run balls, allowing four over 51.1 innings of work. However, one thing that hasn't changed with Kuhl is the rate at which opponents are getting hits off of him. His opponent batting average is still higher than you would like to see at .238, but the difference is he isn't supplementing those hits with runners he walked on base. Since coming back from the COVID IL, Kuhl has only walked one batter in his three outings and seems to be thriving in relief. It was a role many people thought he would be in since his Tommy John Surgery, and now he is showing that he can perform both as a starter or a reliever.
One thing we have seen with Kuhl in relief is that he has had a little more zip in his fastball. Usually, his average fastball velocity sits right around 91-93 mph. However, in last night's game, that average jumped up to 94-96 mph. His fastest pitch was 96.3 against Dylan Carson, and he ended up popping out to shortstop for the second out of that inning. Kuhl has always been a guy that has that velocity potential, but we haven't really seen it when he has been a starter. Whether it is because he is saving himself or not can't be determined, but coming out of the bullpen his fastball has had more life. If it weren't for the trip to the COVID IL, we probably don't see Kuhl in relief work. However, he is taking it in stride, and continuing his good work from July into his new life in the bullpen in late August.
Kuhl Becoming More Effective
With every start since his first IL stint, we have seen Chad Kuhl progress from just an average pitcher to a pretty darn good one. Over his last three appearances, Kuhl has posted a 3.00 ERA, allowing just one earned run. Over his last seven appearances, that ERA is even better at 2.55 over 24.2 innings of work. The biggest thing that has helped him is his better control, which has limited the amount of runners he has seen on base. Kuhl has been able to let it fly in the bullpen, and use that velocity that we knew was there all along. There were rumblings of him being a back of the bullpen-style arm at the beginning of the year. Now that he had some time off, he is getting the chance to be that bullpen guy and has been thriving in his new role.
It is a role he should be in for the remainder of the 2021 season as the Pirates try to limit the innings thrown by their starters. With a lack of middle relief talent on the team, that is most likely the role that Kuhl will fill. With David Bednar and Chris Stratton doing most of the late-inning, high leverage, work, Kuhl will slide in as a sixth or seventh inning guy with Duane Underwood Jr. Having a fresh arm there will allow the Pirates to have more effective middle relief help down the stretch. As long as Kuhl can keep up his newfound control, it will make him a more effective pitcher. There was already interest surrounding the right-hander at the trade deadline, and if he can show that he can be a reliable reliever, there should be even more interest this off-season.
However, I believe that Ben Cherington will try and hold on to Chad Kuhl at least through the Trade Deadline next season. More than likely he will return to his normal role in the Pirates starting rotation and be once again near the top of that rotation in 2022. Steven Brault will most likely be the Opening Day Starter followed by Kuhl and Brubaker for the top three spots in the rotation. The biggest thing that Kuhl needs to work on is that control, and it seems like he has found the ability to get the ball in the strike zone. It has led to a more effective pitcher, and if he continues it could land the Pirates a piece next season. Kuhl has been an average pitcher throughout his career, and he is hoping that these slight adjustments and a new role can put him over the top.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (47-82) try to secure at least a series split with the St. Louis Cardinals (65-62) tonight at 7:05 pm. Steven Brault (0-2, 1.93) takes the hill after leading the rotation through the middle part of August against Pirates nemesis Adam Wainwright (12-7, 3.10). You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
Comments
Post a Comment