Cishek announced his retirement Friday, Rich Maclone of The Bourne Enterprise reports.
The 35-year-old right spent 13 seasons in the majors, most recently posting a 4.21 ERA in 66.1 frames for the Nationals last season. He'll retire with a lifetime 2.98 ERA and 133 saves.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Credited with first win
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Cishek (1-2) picked up the win Sunday against Atlanta, working 1.2 scoreless innings of relief without allowing a hit or a walk and striking out two.
A hit by pitch was the only blemish on his line. In what was a bullpen day for the Nationals, Cishek entered the game with one out in the fourth inning to protect a 4-3 lead and wound up being deemed the team's most effective pitcher by the official scorer to get credit for the win. The 36-year-old has a 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and solid 25.7 percent strikeout rate -- his best mark since 2018 -- on the season, and if new closer Kyle Finnegan falters, Cishek could see some save chances after the All-Star break.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Collects fifth hold
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Cishek gave up one hit and struck out two in a scoreless sixth inning Sunday to record his fifth hold of the season in a loss to Atlanta.
The veteran right-hander had gone more than a month without picking up a hold, posting a 6.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB through 11.2 innings in 10 appearances between his last two. Cishek remains one of the Nationals' high-leverage relievers mostly by default, and the team isn't likely to win enough games in the second half to give the 36-year-old much fantasy value even in formats that count holds.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Picks up fourth hold
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Cishek walked one and struck out three over 1.1 scoreless innings Friday to record his fourth hold of the season in a win over the Brewers.
The hold was the first in over a month for the sidearmer, but that's due to a lack of opportunity rather than poor performance. Cishek has a 2.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB through 16.2 innings since the beginning of May, solidifying a spot among the Nationals' high-leverage arms.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Grabs third hold
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Cishek gave up a hit and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings Sunday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Giants.
The sidearmer has held the opposition off the board in nine of his 11 appearances this season but been tagged for six runs in the other two, leading to a 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Cishek's reliance on deception rather than dominant stuff makes him volatile, but Washington doesn't have many healthy, reliable high-leverage options in the bullpen right now, which will keep the veteran in a setup role -- he's currently tied with Kyle Finnegan for the team lead in holds.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Takes loss Sunday
Rotowire
Cishek (0-1) was charged with a blown save and the loss Sunday against the Pirates, coughing up three runs on three hits and a walk while recording only one out.
Entering the game in the seventh inning with the Nationals on top 3-2, Cishek quickly made a mess of things with a bases-loaded wild pitch bringing home the tying run. The veteran reliever was expected to handle a high-leverage role for Washington this season and potentially even factor into the saves mix, but he's had a brutal start to the season with a 6.75 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and 3:3 K:BB through four innings and five appearances.
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Nationals' Steve Cishek: Ejected in team debut
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Cishek was ejected from Friday's game against the Mets in the top of the fifth inning after he hit Francisco Lindor in the head with a pitch, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Cishek entered Friday's matchup in the top of the fifth inning with no outs and a runner on second, and he hit Lindor with the second pitch he threw. That led to a scuffle on the field between the two teams, and the right-hander was tossed from the game since the Nationals also hit several batters during Thursday's Opening Day matchup. It's not yet clear whether the incident will lead to discipline from the league.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Notches hold No. 20
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Cishek picked up a hold against the White Sox on Wednesday, striking out three and allowing two hits in one scoreless inning.
Cishek opened the frame with a punchout before allowing back-to-back singles. He then got out of the jam by striking out Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal to close the inning. The right-hander has been one of the Angels' most reliable bullpen arms this season, notching 20 holds while posting a 3.03 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 67 appearances. Cishek has allowed only one earned run over his last 11.1 innings.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Off bereavement list
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Cishek was reinstated from the bereavement list Thursday.
Cishek was away from the team since Friday. He's struggled a bit of late, allowing six earned runs across his last 5.2 frames. However, Cishek serves as one of the team's primary setup men and should continue to rack up holds in the final two months of the season.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Placed on bereavement list
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Cishek was placed on the bereavement list Friday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Cishek had tossed 2.1 scoreless innings across his last three appearances, but he'll be away from the team for at least three days following his placement on the bereavement list. Right-hander Andrew Wantz was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to serve as bullpen depth in his absence.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Takes loss Monday
Rotowire
Cishek (0-1) allowed three runs on one hit and two walks while failing to record an out as he took the loss Monday against the Athletics.
This was an absolutely brutal outing for Cishek. After Shohei Ohtani threw six scoreless innings, Cishek came in for the seventh and walked the first two batters he faced before Ramon Laureano broke a scoreless tie with a three-run blast to left, snapping the veteran's streak of 15 straight scoreless appearances. His day was done after facing the minimum of three batters. The 35-year-old owns a 3.48 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 38:27 K:BB over 41.1 innings.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Notches ninth hold
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Cishek gave up one hit and struck out one over a scoreless one-third of an inning to earn a hold against Baltimore on Saturday.
The right-hander relieved starter Alex Cobb in the eighth inning and yielded an infield single to the first batter he faced. However, Cishek recovered to strike out Cedric Mullins, keeping the Angels' three-run lead intact. The veteran reliever ranks second on the team with nine holds while posting a 3.22 ERA and 35:22 K:BB across 36.1 innings.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Yields three runs in relief
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Cishek pitched one inning against Seattle on Sunday, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one. He did not factor in the decision.
The Angels opened the ninth inning trailing by a pair of runs, and Cishek was brought into the game after Hunter Strickland allowed the first two Seattle batters to reach base. Cishek wasn't any more effective, allowing both inherited runners to score and giving up three runs of his own. The right-hander wasn't hit hard -- neither of the Mariners' hits left the infield -- but he issued three walks (one intentional) and threw only 16 of 29 pitches for strikes. Cishek entered the contest with no earned runs and only six hits on his ledger over his previous 13.1 innings, so he isn't likely to slip down the bullpen hierarchy after one poor outing.
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Angels' Steve Cishek: Lands with Angels
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Cishek signed a contract with the Angels on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Cishek was granted his release by the Astros on Thursday after it became clear that he wouldn't make the Opening Day roster. He'll serve as bullpen depth to start the 2021 campaign for the Angels.
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Steve Cishek: Granted release by Astros
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Cishek asked for and was granted his release Thursday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.
Cishek had an up-and-down spring with the Astros, as he had an impressive 12:2 K:BB across 7.2 innings but also allowed three home runs. This move indicates the team wasn't going to include Cishek on their Opening Day roster, so he'll now look to latch on with another big-league bullpen.
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Astros' Steve Cishek: Locking in bullpen spot
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Cishek allowed one hit and struck out two over one scoreless inning in Sunday's spring game against the Marlins.
Cishek has sparkled since a shaky Grapefruit League debut. After giving up three home runs in his debut, Cishek has struck out 11, walked two and given up two hits over 5.2 innings. The non-roster invitee has not yet secured a spot, but the right-hander moved closer to cementing his place in the bullpen. As evidence that he's going to be on the Opening Day roster, Cishek is scheduled to pitch Monday, his first back-to-back appearance of spring training, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.
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Astros' Steve Cishek: Hammered in debut
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Cishek gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs in Monday's spring game against Washington, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Cishek's mission of making the Astros bullpen as a non-roster invitee got off to a bad start, but the homer barrage was the result of tinkering, suggesting the outing was an aberration. Two of the three home runs he allowed came off his changeup, a pitch he rarely throws -- just 58 times over the last seven seasons, according to Baseball Savant. "There's a reason why I don't throw too many of those," Cishek said. Despite the poor first impression, the 34-year-old's track record and wealth of experience are likely to land him a spot in the bullpen.
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Astros' Steve Cishek: Aims to fix sinker
Rotowire
Cishek has identified a flaw in his mechanics that led to last season's 5.40 ERA over 20 innings, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The side-arming Cishek noticed his arm slot was about six inches higher than normal, which led to a flat sinker. Opposing batters raked against the pitch, hitting .395 off it with a .789 slugging percentage. By contrast, the opposition managed .261 and .405 off the same pitch in 2019, when he posted a 2.95 ERA over 64 innings for the Cubs. "That's the first time in my career my two-seamer has been hit that hard," Cishek said. "I've been hit hard plenty of times, but not on a consistent basis like that. Obviously, that was a wake-up call that something is not right." He tried to make in-season adjustments but ran out of time during the shortened season. The Astros revamped their bullpen during the offseason and the 34-year-old, a non-roster invitee, is expected to earn a spot.
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Astros' Steve Cishek: Joins Houston on minors deal
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Cishek signed with the Astros as a non-roster invitee Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Cishek owns a strong 2.78 career ERA and remained below 3.00 in that category in eight of his first 10 seasons, but he was forced to settle for a minor-league deal after a disappointing 2020 campaign. In 20 innings for the White Sox, he posted a 5.40 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, with his 32.2 percent groundball rate coming in well below his career 48.9 percent mark. If he proves last year was just a blip, he'll be a steal for the Astros, but a rebound can't be taken for granted in the righty's age-35 season.
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Steve Cishek: Cut loose by White Sox
Rotowire
Cishek was released by the White Sox on Monday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
The White Sox could have picked up Cishek's team option for $6 million next season, but they'll instead send him to free agency slightly early after designating him for assignment the previous week. He wasn't impressive in his 20 innings of relief this season, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
