Bullpen roles constantly shift throughout a season and Jeff Hoffman could be setting himself up for more high-leverage situations.
Hoffman has been excellent for the past three weeks, allowing one earned run in his last 11 1/3 innings (0.79 ERA) with 14 strikeouts and five walks. During that stretch, he’s inherited four runners and none have scored.
He’s gradually shifted into a late-inning bullpen option. He’s pitched in the seventh or eighth inning in five of his last six appearances.
“Obviously, I’ll pitch whenever,” Hoffman said. “I want to be a workhorse. I want to be a guy that they feel like they can call on in any situation.