With Kontos Out, Broadway & Okert Look to Take Spot

The San Francisco bullpen has been struggling lately, and the latest news injury sure isn't going to help. Just four days after Sergio Romo was placed on the DL with a flexor strain, right-hander George Kontos is headed onto the 15-day DL with a flexor strain similar to that of Romo's. Kontos has been one of San Francisco's most reliable relievers so far this season, only allowing one run over 5.2 innings.

The Giants have been persistent in keeping thirteen pitchers on the roster at all times, and the team will likely be doing more of the same by seeking out help from Sacramento. One of the more likely candidates to replace Kontos is twenty-nine-year-old Mike Broadway.

Broadway's arsenal includes a fastball that can range in the mid-nineties, as well as a hard slider with sharp downwards movement that can get hitters to swing and miss. This combination has worked great for him in the minors, and he has struck out more than ten batters per nine innings during multiple seasons.

When Broadway struck out his first batter in the majors, his slider essentially started at the knees, then sharply dipped down into the dirt.

Last year in Triple-A, over 48.1 innings, Broadway recorded 13 saves with a 0.93 ERA and struck out 11.92 per nine innings while only walking 1.49 per nine innings. In this past Spring Training, Broadway pitched well, only allowing one run over the course of seven innings, although he did allow seven walks in that period.

Also possibly making a run at Kontos's position is left-hander Steven Okert. The idea of having three lefties in a bullpen may be a bit unconventional, but when two of the key relievers in a bullpen go down, there's not a lot of room left for tradition. Besides, during the past two years in the minors, Okert has been an absolute strikeout machine and has made the argument for being one of the best left-handed prospects in the minors.

Okert's arsenal, similar to Broadway's only boasts a fastball and a slider, but Okert is incredibly deadly with the two. In 2014, Okert's ability to strike batters out allowed him to make the jump from rookie ball to Double-A.

In his brief stint in rookie ball, the left-hander struck out 17 in only 12 innings of working with a 0.75 ERA. In Single-A, he struck out 13.75 per nine innings in 35.1 innings of work and in Double-A, he struck out 10.36 per nine innings in 33 innings.

Okert did more of the same in 2015, striking out 10.13 per nine innings over the course of 61.1 innings. Through his first four appearances in 2016, Okert pitched 6.2 innings while striking out eight and only allowing two runs.

Whether or not the Giants decide to go with Broadway, Okert, or go with an entirely different option, the Giants are faced with the reality that whoever they bring up is not going to have the major league experience to mask the absences of Kontos. Here's to hoping that Kontos has a quick and speedy recovery and can get back to bringing some stability to the San Francisco bullpen.

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