CLEVELAND: Joba Chamberlain parlayed a non-roster invitation to spring camp into a roster spot and has become, statistically, the most reliable arm in the Indians bullpen through the first six weeks of the season.
The biggest reason for it is Chamberlain is throwing his fastball more often, and he’s throwing it with more conviction than in the past.
Chamberlain entered Monday with a 0.79 ERA and 0.55 WHIP, both team-low marks, to go with more than a strikeout (13) per inning pitched (12u2154). He hasn’t pitched in as many high-leverage situations because he entered the season as a front-end reliever with Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw and others anchored to the later innings.