7 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris, who was sent to the minors twice in the middle of the season, struck out two hitters on seven total pitches with the go-ahead run on second base on Wednesday night and appears to be back in the mix in the late innings in high-leverage situations. He has allowed just three hits with one walk and 18 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings since his return. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz thinks Neris' struggles this year stem from him throwing too many sliders when his bread and butter is the fastball-splitter combination. Neris worked in the minors to shorten his delivery and lift his leg, and manager Gabe Kapler points to "more vertical movement" on Neris' splitter since his return. The location of his four-seam fastball also has improved dramatically compared to earlier in the year. Seranthony Dominguez, who has served as the closer for most of the year, has hit a wall and has allowed eight runs and three homers in his last 7 2/3 innings. Tommy Hunter picked up a two-inning save on Wednesday, but Neris is very much in the picture for saves down the stretch with Kapler mixing and matching in the ninth. Scoop Neris up now if you're searching for saves at this juncture in a deeper league.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer - Scott Lauber