Detroit Tigers: José Cisnero has been a quiet assassin in 2022

Detroit Tigers reliever José Cisnero has been silent but deadly out of the bullpen.

The Detroit Tigers should be more than happy with the production level they have gotten out of right-handed reliever José Cisnero during the 2022 season. He’s been solid when called upon out of the bullpen. While those opportunities seldom occur, Cisnero has made the most of them.

José Cisnero has not been a centerpiece of this team’s bullpen for the Detroit Tigers but has been effective. Cisnero has dealt with injury and time away from the team to handle family matters but has been solid with the team.

He’s been able to come into games and keep things intact, staving off the opposition and keeping the Tigers in it. After returning to the mound, he was asked about his time away and how it may affect him getting the call, giving an answer in the area of staying ready and continuing to be prepared for when he is called upon.

Frankly, the 33-year-old veteran reliever has been able to do just that. He may not be a go-to option or someone the team is calling upon routinely like Gregory Soto, but Cisnero has been working to be a beneficial bullpen arm as he finally gets chances with the team’s bullpen.

As of late, he’s made some changes alongside pitching coach Chris Fetter($$), helping him reinvigorate his slider, making it a bigger piece of his repertoire once again. Getting ahold of his slider is only helping Cisnero find more success.

Detroit Tigers reliever José Cisnero has been a “hidden” gem.

It’s hard to truly say that Cisnero has been a hidden gem because he was injured to start the season and then had to leave the team in July to attend to family matters with a death in the family. But, while with the team, he has been more than successful.

Cisnero has found his way into 27 games for the Tigers, where he pitched to a 1.13 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. He’s punched out 23 opposing hitters over 24 innings pitched. He’s kept the opposition off the board, which is most important.

For the Tigers, it has to be rewarding to see a veteran reliever get the job done and slot back in nicely with the team’s bullpen as Cisnero did when he returned. While a roster purge is coming to this offseason, and the Tigers bullpen may look quite different in 2023, Cisnero has built a case for him to stay in a big league bullpen, even if it’s not the Tigers.

Cisnero’s got a definitive three-pitch mix, with the fastball creeping up about 95 mph on average and getting into the upper-90s at times. He’s done work to his slider, which hovers the mid-80s with a tighter break to it.

With the work to his slider, he’s got a viable three-pitch mix, adding in an upper-80s hard changeup with depth to it. For Cisnero, it’s about mixing pitches, using his re-defined slider, and aiming to miss barrels that way.

Even if it’s not punching out every hitter, he can induce weak contact and get through relief outings. Cisnero has been solid, and the Tigers should be pleased with how he has performed upon his return.