Cleveland Indians back to the eight-man bullpen

The Cleveland Indians made several rosters moves this afternoon, including one that helps bolster an already dominant bullpen.

The big news surrounding the Cleveland Indians today has to do with Bradley Zimmer being called up, but it was not the only roster move that will help the team.

Along with Zimmer, Shawn Armstrong is back up with the club for another stint in Cleveland, giving Terry Francona eight relievers in the bullpen.

This is the perfect situation for Francona, who likes to get creative with his bullpen, as there is not a weak link among the group. Having eight men out there allows him to go to his bullpen early if he is worried about his starter blowing a lead.

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There has only been one loss charged to a bullpen pitcher this season, which came last week in Toronto when Cody Allen gave up a game-winning hit to Ryan Goins. Aside from that one game, the entire group has been amazing.

All eight men in the bullpen have at least ten strikeouts, while Andrew Miller leads the way with 28. The pitching has been so good that the single run allowed by Miller last night startled some fans who are used to him being perfect.

The return of Corey Kluber and Austin Jackson from the disabled list will likely result in Armstrong heading back down soon, but the eight-man bullpen will be a common sight for fans throughout the course of the season, just not on a permanent basis.

Any non-pitcher sent to the 10-day disabled list opens up a spot for a bullpen pitcher to come up for that span, giving Francona that extra depth for a period of time. It allows him to limit his starters’ innings and keep them fresh for the long haul of the season.

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With the lack of consistency on offense, the bullpen has been there to pick up the slack. The offense will need to come around eventually if this team wants to return to the World Series, but in the meantime the bullpen will be there to keep the team in contention.