Trivino rather than Jake Diekman is the leading candidate to log save chances during Trevor Rosenthal's (shoulder) prolonged absence, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "If we can keep moving forward with Lou, he gives us an option to close as well, " manager Bob Melvin said. "He's pitched really well for us. We've seen what he can accomplish when he's feeling good."
The right-hander has carried over his momentum from an excellent spring into the regular season, giving up just a solo home run across 5.2 innings while recording six strikeouts over four appearances. Melvin also has a seemingly appealing left-handed option for ninth-inning work in Diekman, but he noted Thursday that he'd prefer to keep the veteran in a setup role whenever possible. Trivino does have some closing experience, albeit not very successful, as he's converted only four of 11 save opportunities over the past three seasons. His mid-90s fastball serves as an excellent weapon for high-leverage scenarios, but his career 4.1 BB/9 could prove problematic.