Washington Nationals: Who Is The Closer Friday Night?

With Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle almost certainly unavailable due to a heavy workload, who would take the mound for a save Friday night?

So far the only part of the bullpen that has gone right for the Washington Nationals this season is the closer spot. All-Star Sean Doolittle has bounced back nicely from a longlasting injury in 2018 and looks on pace to earn another All-Star nod come July.

Despite his success, a major concern for Washington is how much he has been used. Thursday afternoon’s game against the New York Mets saw Doolittle throw 31 pitches in a tough ninth inning.

Although he was able to record the save and secure the big 7-6 win for the Nationals, due to his appearances the past two nights and heavy workload Thursday afternoon, it seems all but inevitable that Doolittle will be unavailable for the opener against the Chicago Cubs Friday night.

With Doolittle being unable to pitch, this opens up an interesting question for the Nationals. If they have a close lead in the ninth, who takes the mound to close out the game?

With all their bullpen woes this season one thing Washington has not had to deal with is worrying about who will pitch the ninth. Doolittle has been as solid as you can get, and a constant presence holding the bullpen together by a string by his performance. But, with him out of the picture, who will Dave Martinez call on to fill his role if necessary?

The first and most likely option is setup man Kyle Barraclough. The right-hander has closing experience as he recorded 10 saves for the Miami Marlins in 2018. Barraclough has had a solid 2018 season to this point, posting a . 3.52 E.R.A. and 19 strikeouts in 15.1 innings. Barraclough has been good of late, despite the four-run outing against Los Angeles Sunday, posting scoreless outings in five of his last six appearances.

The second option is to go with young, hard-throwing Wander Suero. Statwise, Suero has not had a great season to this point. He holds a 6.19 E.R.A. and has given up 12 hits in 16 innings pitched. The one thing that makes Suero intriguing in the ninth is his swing and miss stuff. He has recorded 21 strikeouts in his 16 innings and has the ability to miss bats on a nightly basis.

If I was a betting man, I would imagine Martinez would go with the safer bet in Barraclough. Suero overall may have better stuff, but Barraclough has been a closer before and has experience closing out games.

At the end of the day, the Washington Nationals have to hope the “backup” closer role is not something they have to explore much this season. With Sean Doolittle’s high usage this season, do not be surprised if guys like Barraclough and Suero have opportunities to close out games at this season rolls on.