Fantasy Baseball Closers Depth Charts (MLB Saves, Holds)

2023 Season

• 9/13: Kenley Jansen was placed on the COVID-19 IL after leaving Tuesday’s game due to dizziness and illness symptoms. Chris Martin is the favorite for saves in the meantime, but we’ve seen Josh Winckowski and John Schreiber step in as well.
• 9/12: Adbert Alzolay is forced to the IL with a right forearm strain, which led to a two-out Michael Fulmer save on Monday. We expect save opps to be split between Fulmer, Julian Merryweather, and Mark Leiter Jr. down the stretch.
• 9/8: Tyler Kinley is Colorado’s new closer with two saves in early September. His only blemish over three September games is a walk, but one can’t escape volatility at Coors. Proceed with caution.
• 9/8: Jose Alvarado has once again forced a committee following Craig Kimbrel’s 5.73 ERA in the month of August. The southpaw still has command hiccups and needs to trust his cutter, but he’s regained his seat at the table.
• 9/8: A day after Gregory Santos blew Tuesday’s save, he set down Kansas City’s 3-4 hitters in the eighth before Bryan Shaw handled 5-7 in the ninth for a save. Santos’ appeal dwindles as a volatile high-leverage arm that isn’t exclusive to the ninth.
• 9/8: Ryan Helsley has looked solid in two games after missing nearly three months of action (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K). STL lost JoJo Romero to the IL as Helsley re-joins Giovanny Gallegos in a committee. Helsley won’t be overworked after the lengthy absence but should be the 1A with Gallegos allowing eight earned runs over his last seven games.
• 9/8: Seattle has used both Andres Munoz and Matt Brash in three consecutive games. Munoz rebounded from some tough appearances with a save on Sept. 7 and still looks like the 1A option. Justin Topa could pick up a spot save with them resting.
• 8/27: David Robertson is out as closer in Miami, per Craig Mish. He mentioned Tanner Scott as the new favorite and that’s who danced around two hits for Sunday’s save. A.J. Puk may receive some chances but Scott looks like the 1A now.
• 8/26: Felix Bautista left Friday’s game with arm soreness, exiting with two strikes and two outs. Yennier Cano should step up as the primary stopper for now. The O’s are also calling up DL Hall, who has an 18/4 K/BB in 7 2/3 relief IP (!) in August at Triple-A. *Update: It’s a UCL Injury. Bautista goes on the IL with no prognosis/timeline yet.
• 8/26: Per Jen McCaffrey, Alex Cora will use a matchup mix of Chris Martin, Josh Winckowski, and John Schreiber as Kenley Jansen works back. He played long toss before Friday’s game.
• 8/26: The Yankees’ numerous struggles include their bullpen of late. Clay Holmes has surrendered six runs in his last four games. Tommy Kahnle has served up three homers in his last two. Meanwhile, Jonathan Loaisiga has eight scoreless games since returning from injury and may sneak into some saves. He only has a 3/0 K/BB in those 7 2/3 IP but owns a .091 BABIP in that span, so temper expectations.
• 8/26: Scott Servais confirmed Seattle’s closer committee prior to Friday’s game. Unfortunately, that was followed by saying Matt Brash needed a breather for arm soreness. He was given four days off before a frightful Friday appearance. He faced five hitters, giving up three hits (2 ER, 1 HR) with the only two outs being deep flyouts. Monitor his next outing closely.
• 8/24: Kenley Jansen exited due to right hamstring tightness, though Alex Cora „hopes” Jansen will be ready by Friday. But the closer still limped off, making Chris Martin a strong add as Jansen’s status settles.
• 8/18: Matt Brash logged back-to-back saves on August 16 and 17 and he’s squarely in their circle of trust for the ninth. Andres Munoz had thrown 42 pitches on August 15 and was presumably unavailable, but Brash’s control has improved enough to give the M’s flexibility in the late innings.
• 8/18: Kyle Finnegan will maintain Washington’s closer role even with Hunter Harvey back and throwing 97-98 mph.
• 8/18: Ryan Helsley’s rehab was briefly paused due to soreness but he’s scheduled for a Triple-A appearance on Friday. He should be back soon but forearms are tricky. Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero have formed a committee in his stead.
• 8/18: Jordan Romano nailed down an 11-pitch save on Tuesday and pushes Jordan Hicks and company back into setup roles. Romano’s back may flare up again so keep Hicks nearby.
• 8/15: Detroit’s bullpen remains wide open. Jason Foley, Beau Brieske, and Jose Cisnero have all recorded saves over the last week. Cisnero has the strongest strikeout stuff as a possible tiebreak.
• 8/15: Ryan Helsley is scheduled for another rehab appearance on Wednesday. That makes his fourth and he should return to reclaim the closer’s role shortly.
• 8/8: Carlos Estevez imploded on Monday, allowing five runs with only one batter retired. That’s nine earned and a 3/5 K/BB ratio in three August appearances. Also, all qualified LAA relievers have given up multiple homers since the All-Star break except for Reynaldo Lopez (0 HR in the last 15 games). Lopez may ascend if Estevez’s command doesn’t correct.
• 8/8: Kansas City’s Monday broadcast said how Carlos Hernandez’s seventh-inning appearance on 8/4 was connected to the top of Philly’s order (h/t Greg Jewett). They wanted Hernandez there while leaving Austin Cox for a potential ninth-inning look against lefties Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Hernandez struggled on Monday but a missed call led to a brutal grand slam. He’s still their 1A.
• 8/7: Ryan Pressly was unavailable on Sunday due to being „sore” per Dusty Baker. It was clarified that Pressly was healthy, but soreness could lead to other issues. Note that Bryan Abreu had entered in the eighth and stayed in for the save.
• 8/6: Kansas City used Carlos Hernandez in the seventh inning on Friday, working ahead of an eventual Austin Cox save. Are they a lefty-righty committee? The role’s appeal is greatly diminished if KC’s save share is split up. Stay tuned.
• 8/2: Liam Hendriks underwent Tommy John Surgery today and will miss the rest of this season and at least most of next. The White Sox will likely move forward with Gregory Santos in their closer’s role.
• 8/1: The Royals traded their closer, Scott Barlow, to the Padres before the deadline. Barlow will work in a setup role in San Diego while Carlos Hernandez will assume the closer’s role in Kansas City.
• 8/1: The Diamondbacks got a new closer in Paul Sewald and the next day they traded Andrew Chafin to the Brewers. Chafin will work in a setup role ahead of Devin Williams in the Milwaukee bullpen.
• 8/1: Andrew Nardi is back from the IL for the Marlins and should resume his role as a setup man with strong strikeout numbers and occasional holds.
• 7/31: The Diamondbacks made a trade to solidify the end of their bullpen, acquiring Paul Sewald from the Mariners. He’ll presumably step in as closer in Arizona, while Andres Munoz figures to get most of the save chances in Seattle.
• 7/30: With their closer injured, the Blue Jays made a deal for Jordan Hicks on Sunday. He’s likely their closer as Jordan Romano heals up, but Yimi Garcia and Erik Swanson may still mix in. The Cardinals also dealt Chris Stratton to Texas so Giovanny Gallegos is the last healthy arm standing in their 'pen (for now).
• 7/29: Jordan Romano was officially placed on the IL on Saturday afternoon. He couldn’t finish Friday’s save opportunity due to lower back discomfort. John Schneider said Romano’s back „locked up on him,” per MLB’s Keegan Matheson. Yimi Garcia cleaned up the bases-loaded jam but Erik Swanson is still the 1A add to Garcia’s 1B.
• 7/28: The White Sox have now traded Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly, and Reynaldo Lopez in three separate deals. None of them should be heavily involved in the ninth on their new teams. CHW should employ a committee of Keynan Middleton, Aaron Bummer, and Gregory Santos until Liam Hendriks returns. (Santos got Friday’s save.)
• 7/28: Another trade! Miami brought in David Robertson from the Mets, which likely pushes a struggling A.J. Puk out of the ninth. The Mets should split save opps between Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley for now, but either could be dealt shortly.
• 7/26: The Marlins and Twins agreed on a trade, with Dylan Floro heading to Minnesota and Jorge Lopez heading to Miami. Both were working in middle-inning roles with occasional holds and should continue to do so on their new teams.
• 7/24: The Braves made two trades, acquiring Pierce Johnson from the Rockies and Taylor Hearn from the Rangers. Both figure to pitch in middle relief in Atlanta, with Justin Lawrence gaining a stronger hold of the ninth inning in Colorado.
• 7/24: A.J. Puk got a vote of confidence after a rough stretch and then proceeded to blow another save. There’s no official change yet, but Tanner Scott could start to see the ninth inning soon if Puk’s struggles continue.
• 7/24: Clay Holmes has the last three saves for the Yankees and four of their past five. Looks like he’s been promoted from committee leader to closer.
• 7/24: Another closer seemingly promoted from committee leader is Adbert Alzolay for the Cubs. He has every Cubs save this month.
• 7/16: Washington’s bullpen takes a big hit as Hunter Harvey is back in DC undergoing an MRI and likely headed to the injured list. Kyle Finnegan should be the sole closer now as the MRI results should determine Washington’s deadline plans for Finnegan.
• 7/15: Aroldis Chapman locked down Saturday’s save for the Rangers as a committee has formed in Texas. Bruce Bochy said both Chapman and Smith will share the role based on which hitters are due up. Adjust accordingly.
• 7/15: John Schneider said that Jordan Romano emerged from his pregame routine unscathed and that „if we need him tomorrow, he’s ready to roll,” per SI’s Mitch Bannon. The sands can shift but that’s encouraging news.
• 7/15: Josh Sborz is now on the 15-day IL with left biceps tendinitis. This should press Texas to acquire another bullpen arm soon. Losing his elite 34% strikeout rate hurts those in Solds/Holds leagues.
• 7/15: Atlanta’s bullpen gets thinner as A.J. Minter goes to the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation. Joe Jimenez and Kirby Yates will need to be sharp behind Raisel Iglesias. Ben Heller and Michael Tonkin are adds for those scoring holds.
• 7/13: Nick Anderson was placed on the 60-day IL this week, so he’s more or less done for the remainder of at least the fantasy season. Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter have a grasp on the top two spots in the Braves bullpen, but Joe Jimenez and Kirby Yates could see some more leverage work moving forward.
• 7/11: Toronto’s Jordan Romano exited the All-Star game after five pitches with „left lower back tightness.” An in-game interview with Dusty Baker revealed that Romano felt tightness after his final bullpen pitch but went out anyway. Add Erik Swanson and keep Nate Pearson close.
• 7/8: Daniel Bard earned his first save in nine months, closing out a three-run win for the Rockies. He has a sparkling 1.76 ERA, but a scary 5.08 FIP and only two more strikeouts (26) than walks (24) in just under 31 innings pitched.
• 7/8: A.J. Puk blew two straight save chances for the Marlins (ending up with a win on the first one), but he came back out for a third straight chance and converted with a dominant inning. His role as closer in Miami seems safe despite the recent struggles.
• 7/8: Daniel Hudson got activated from the IL, earned his first save in over a year, and then ended up right back on the injured list with a different injury. He’s not expected back any time soon, so Evan Phillips should continue in his role as head of the committee in Los Angeles.
• 7/5: The Phillies have kept red-hot Craig Kimbrel in the closer’s chair despite Jose Alvarado’s early-June activation off of the IL. Alvarado got a save on June 14 but hasn’t seen one since. It’s hard to argue otherwise, as Kimbrel has a 24/3 K/BB and 0.60 ERA in 15 games since June began!
• 7/5: Evan Phillips saw a pair of one-out walks lead to his third loss of 2023 as he worked in his third consecutive game. He’ll surely get a breather, which may allow Daniel Hudson (2 IP, 0 ER, 3 K) to announce his return to fantasy managers. Phillips has been great but Huddy deepens the closer committee.
• 7/5: Emmanuel Clase went 13 straight games without surrendering a run but has now yielded seven (6 ER) in his last three appearances. He’s only 25 but is on pace for over 80 games after 81 last season (four in the playoffs), so perhaps the bumps are just rougher to endure. No change is imminent, but it’s worth noting.
• 6/30: Aroldis Chapman has been dealt to the Rangers as Texas bolsters its 'pen for a playoff push. They already have a lefty in William Smith so Chapman more likely forms a setup committee with Josh Sborz ahead of Smith. But if Texas shows a willingness to give Chapman save opps then his elite whiffs would make him a must-roster arm.
• 6/29: Hunter Harvey posted a 1-2-3 save with two strikeouts against the heart of Seattle’s order on Wednesday. He now has three saves since June 21 and continues to tighten his grip on Washington’s sporadic save opportunities.
• 6/29: Scott McGough’s hot streak came to an end with a Wednesday loss that required 31 pitches. Do note he had thrown 38 pitches in his previous appearance on Sunday. He’s still the 1A, but Miguel Castro hasn’t allowed a hit in six straight games and may pick up a rogue save as McGough recovers. Andrew Chafin has only made two appearances in the last 10 days.
• 6/28: Paul Sewald blew Seattle’s lead in the eighth inning on Tuesday, which is notable as Andres Munoz lined up for the ninth’s save opportunity. Now healthy, Munoz may make good on preseason projections that illustrated a shared ninth.
• 6/28: Oakland had Trevor May work the eighth ahead of a Sam Moll save on Tuesday. The A’s may not maintain a rigid bullpen pattern even as it behooves them to boost May’s trade value. This makes him even more volatile to roster.
• 6/28: Scott Barlow took Tuesday’s loss and has surrendered runs in three of his last six games while Aroldis Chapman has tossed a perfect inning in three straight appearances. Both are trade candidates and KC may boost Chapman’s value with save opps if Barlow keeps scuffling.
• 6/28: The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported that Ryan Helsley is slated to start a throwing program by the end of this week, requiring a „significant ramp-up period.” Of course, Jordan Hicks has been lights out in his stead.
• 6/23: That’s four saves in a row for Scott McGough out of the Diamondbacks bullpen. He has saved four games since any other Arizona pitcher recorded a save. He’s worth rostering in all formats right now.
• 6/23: Jordan Hicks has three saves in a row for the Cardinals and looks like at least the leader of the committee in the St. Louis bullpen right now.
• 6/22: Clay Holmes logged a five-out save on June 20 to give him four on the month with only five baserunners over his last eight appearances. This comes as Michael King has scuffled, which yielded a Tommy Kahnle save on Wednesday. The 33-year-old hasn’t allowed a hit or walk in six consecutive games. Holmes is still the „high-leverage arm” but Kahnle may now edge King for stray save opps.
• 6/22: One day after throwing 31 pitches, Hunter Harvey threw another 13 for his fourth save of 2023. The 28-year-old has a 1.11 WHIP through 31 2/3 IP, which easily outshines Kyle Finnegan’s 1.52 WHIP. The job likely isn’t Harvey’s outright, at least not quite yet, but he’s the preferred fantasy arm.
• 6/22: Scott McGough notched Wednesday’s save while lowering his ERA to 2.54 on the year. He’s now posted saves on June 11, 17, and 21. Miguel Castro only has one save since June 2 and Andrew Chafin hasn’t recorded one since May. It’s still a committee for now, but McGough is its clear 1A.
• 6/12: Ryan Helsley has been placed on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain. This promotes Giovanny Gallegos from committee chair to primary closer. Jordan Hicks may also get chances if Gallegos is needed earlier, though Hicks has given up runs in two straight games after a scoreless streak of 10 appearances.
• 6/11: After logging just one save in nearly two months, Clay Holmes has locked down three saves in early June. The 30-year-old has allowed just one hit in his last seven appearances and might start to put talks of a committee to rest.
• 6/11: The White Sox placed Liam Hendriks on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. That’s a scary injury location but perhaps he just ramped up too quickly. Regardless, Kendall Graveman has looked strong of late and should absorb most save opportunities moving forward.
• 6/7: Liam Hendriks converted Tuesday’s save chance against the Yankees despite allowing a solo homer in the ninth. This came after a clean eighth inning from Kendall Graveman so it appears to be Hendriks’ show once again.
• 6/6: The Marlins have activated A.J. Puk from the IL. The lefty should regain his closing role before long, moving Dylan Floro back into a setup role.
• 6/4: Justin Lawrence has back-to-back saves for Colorado now, leapfrogging the scuffling Pierce Johnson for the apparent job. Lawrence’s 3.06 ERA (2.64 FIP) shines over Johnson’s inflated 6.85 ERA (5.39 FIP). Daniel Bard has only allowed one run thus far but owns a 5.37 FIP with more walks (13) than strikeouts (12).
• 5/31: Adbert Alzolay needed 20 pitches to collect a perfect two-inning save with four strikeouts on Tuesday. For now, it looks like a solid committee between Mark Leiter Jr. and Alzolay.
• 5/29: Pete Fairbanks was officially placed on the IL with inflammation in his left hip. It’ll be back to Jason Adam as the head of the committee, but it’s the Rays so we’d expect guys like Colin Poche and Kevin Kelly to possibly see a save chance or two as well.
• 5/29: Tonight we should celebrate the return of Liam Hendriks. A Memorial Day return beats most initial timelines but he has rung the treatment-ending bell and should soon add to his 115 career saves, even if he’s initially eased in earlier than the ninth.
• 5/29: Ryan Helsley gave up Sunday’s lead in ugly fashion, walking both Myles Straw and Steven Kwan ahead of a Jose Ramirez game-winning double. Helsley’s first-strike rate has fallen from 63.2% in 2022 to 53.6%. Despite the shakier command, skipper Oli Marmol said they feel comfortable with either Helsley or Giovanny Gallegos in the ninth, depending on availability, matchups, and the „hot hand.” Gallegos is available in nearly half of Yahoo leagues.
• 5/28: Pete Fairbanks had his hip lock up as he was warming up for Sunday’s potential save opportunity, which may lead to an IL stint. Jason Adam is only rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues.
• 5/25: Kenley Jansen’s velocity remained down during his appearance on Wednesday. Per Statcast, Jansen’s cutter has sat around 93-94 mph in his last three games after living around 95 mph earlier. His sinker had been 95-97 but was 93 mph yesterday, while the slider has fallen from ~85 mph to ~81 mph. This may indicate his earlier back issue is not 100%, so keep Chris Martin and Josh Winckowski nearby.
• 5/25: Mark Leiter Jr. got the Cubbies’ save on Wednesday thanks to two left-handed batters on tap for the ninth. The 'pen conversation in Chicago will be further muddied when Codi Heuer and his upper-90s heat return, which should occur shortly.
• 5/22: Bullpen usage in Philadelphia has shown that Craig Kimbrel is definitely „the guy”, at least for now. Relievers were used in a way to get the ball to Kimbrel in the 9th, so at least until Jose Alvarado comes back, Kimbrel should have some fantasy value in most formats.
• 5/19: Zach Jackson was placed on the 15-day IL by Oakland, which somehow makes their 'pen even more chaotic. Richard Lovelady is a lefty but has only allowed one hit over his last six appearances (5 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K). Austin Pruitt is likely the best right-handed option but that’s not saying much. Shintaro Fujinami has given up two or more runs in four of his last six games and shouldn’t be earning the ninth.
• 5/15: The Rays have activated Pete Fairbanks after the minimum stay on the injured list. He’ll rejoin the bullpen and presumably continue his role as the head of the committee (or at least as close as any Rays reliever can be to that title.)
• 5/14: Marlins closer A.J. Puk was placed on the injured list with left elbow nerve irritation. There’s no word yet on how long he’ll need to stay off the mound. Dylan Floro got the first save chance on Sunday and figures to take over the 9th inning for Miami, with Huascar Brazoban, Tanner Scott, and JT Chargois setting up.
• 5/10: The Phillies announced Jose Alvarado is going on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation. He had been unavailable on Tuesday night after feeling tightness there during a pre-game catch. Perhaps Gregory Soto and his improved control (zero walks in nine of his last 11 games) step up next to Craig Kimbrel in the late frames. Matt Strahm also recently rejoined the 'pen and could be an option.
• 5/10: Orioles reliever Yennier Cano recorded his third save of the season Felix Bautista threw 29 pitches on Tuesday, making it unlikely he would pitch Wednesday, so fantasy managers shouldn’t assume there’s been a change at closer.
• 5/10: Rangers closer William Smith picked up his sixth save of the season after throwing a scoreless ninth inning to close out the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday.
• 5/10: Pierce Johnson recorded his sixth save of the season. Although Bard has been reinstated, Johnson has played a critical role in high-leverage situations.
• 5/9: Giovanny Gallegos completed his second save of the season on Tuesday. Closer Ryan Helsley pitched three of the previous four days, so it’s likely that he was unavailable.
• 5/9: Kendall Graveman notched his first save of the season. Reynaldo Lopez has seen the majority of opportunities to this point, but he pitched the eighth inning in this one. The situation is rather moot at this point, as closer Liam Hendriks is currently in a rehab assignment.
• 5/9: An MRI exam on Andres Munoz (shoulder) showed inflammation in his deltoid area. He has been shut down for a few days as a result. If all goes well, Munoz should be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment in late May/early June.
• 5/9: Carlos Estevez picked up his eighth save of the season. The 30-year-old has been excellent for the Angels and fantasy managers, converting all of his save opportunities with a 1.02 ERA, 11.72 K/9 rate, and 3.57 BB/9 rate.
• 5/9: Jason Adam picked up his fourth save of the season. Adam has taken over as the team’s primary closer with Pete Fairbanks (forearm) on the injured list with right forearm inflammation.
• 5/8: Evan Phillips picked up his fifth save of the season on Sunday. Phillips now has the Dodgers’ last three saves and got both save chances this weekend as he appears to be the primary option out of their bullpen.
• 5/8: Adbert Alzolay got the ninth inning on Saturday. The Cubs closer situation is wide open right now, as four relievers have saves under their belts, and the last three saves have gone to three different pitchers. Alzolay may continue to be an option to close moving forward, given his strong 2.87 ERA, 30.0% strikeout rate, and 0.89 WHIP over 15.2 innings.
• 5/5: Braves reinstated Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Friday. The 33-year-old might be initially eased back into a high-leverage role in Atlanta’s bullpen, but he will eventually replace left-hander A.J. Minter as the team’s primary closer.
• 5/4: Both Jeurys Familia and Domingo Acevedo have been designed for assignment by the A’s. Oakland’s struggles led to a shake-up that has Zach Jackson and Shintaro Fujinami as the most notable relievers left. Mark Kotsay also said Trevor May is on a „pause” in his rehab. Tread carefully!
• 5/3: Keynan Middleton notched Wednesday’s save for the White Sox with all three outs coming via strikeout. Kendall Graveman pitched the eighth so Middleton holds a slight edge (though he’s now worked back-to-back games) while Liam Hendriks goes out for four or five rehab appearances before making a triumphant return.
• 5/3: The Rangers announced William Smith as their closer, saying he would get „the majority” of save chances going forward. Jose Leclerc will pitch earlier innings despite a deceptive 0.93 ERA (7 walks, 9 strikeouts).
• 5/3: The Rays placed Pete Fairbanks on the injured list with forearm inflammation that they say is unrelated to Raynaud’s syndrome, per Marc Topkin. The initial expectation is he only misses the minimum but that’s a frightful area to have barking. Regardless, Jason Adam is a strong add.
• 5/3: Michael King recorded his second save of the past week on Tuesday. Clay Holmes is not only being used as a high-leverage arm in non-save situations, but his sinker command is struggling. Fangraphs has his first-strike rate barely above 50% with his lowest whiff rate since 2019. King is available in over 80% of Yahoo leagues.
• 5/2: Rare good news for the White Sox in 2023: closer Liam Hendriks is heading on a rehab assignment on Wednesday, and should be back in the Chicago bullpen before long.
• 5/1: Reynaldo Lopez is day-to-day with a right biceps injury, which may lead to an IL stint. Neither Kendall Graveman nor Aaron Bummer are inspiring right now, but are likely next in line. Also, keep an eye on Joe Kelly, who struck out the side in his second game back from the IL on Sunday.
• 4/30: Kenley Jansen experienced back tightness on Friday but pitched anyway, giving up a run with lesser stuff. He’s being held out for a few days but expects to avoid the IL. Chris Martin just returned from injury so John Schreiber or Ryan Brasier may see a save opportunity early in the week.
• 4/28: Brad Boxberger secured his second save of the season for the Cubs by shutting down the San Diego Padres on Thursday. He looks to be the closer in Chicago.
• 4/28:  Craig Kimbrel picked up his third save of the season Thursday, tossing a perfect frame with two strikeouts. That makes eight scoreless appearances in a row. Kimbrel will likely continue to share the closer job with Jose Alvarado.
• 4/28: Pete Fairbanks had to be removed from Friday’s game due to what manager Kevin Cash called a flare-up of Reynaud’s Syndrome. He seems to struggle with colder temperatures but looks like it will be a day-to-day thing and not a long-term absence for the Rays reliever.
• 4/28: Jose Quijada is heading to the injured list with elbow soreness. Carlos Estevez, who looked like he was already taking over, will likely fully take over in the 9th inning for the Angels now.
• 4/27: A.J. Minter gave up five runs on Thursday and has yielded 10 ER in his last four appearances. Some bad luck is to blame (.400 BABIP) but others such as Nick Anderson may snipe a save. More importantly, Raisel Iglesias has started his rehab assignment at Triple-A.
• 4/27: Craig Kimbrel picked up his second save of the last week (third of the season) on Thursday, posting his third consecutive 1-2-3 inning. He and Jose Alvarado look to have the ninth depending on upcoming lefty-righty matchups.
• 4/27: Felix Bautista labored through Thursday’s save opportunity but worked around three walks to get it done. He needed 31 pitches and is near 50 pitches in the last couple of days so Yennier Cano may stay hot with a save this weekend.
• 4/24: Jeurys Familia earned his second save in four games for the Athletics. Zach Jackson pitched the eighth and ninth inning and should also be in line for his fair of saves, but it looks like the 33-year-old is the leader in the bullpen right now.
• 4/21: Jose Quijada picked up his 4th save of the season for the Angels. Carlos Estevez pitched in the 8th inning here, and also has two saves on the year.
• 4/21: Jose Alvarado looks like the closer for the Phillies, grabbing his 3rd save of the season. All three saves have come in the last four games, with no hits or walks allowed.
• 4/21: Kyle Finnegan picked up another save for the Nationals, and looks to be the primary closer over Carl Edwards Jr.
• 4/20: Best news of the year so far: Liam Hendriks announced that he is cancer free and will be working his way back to the White Sox closer role in the near future.
• 4/19: Adam Ottavino nailed down his 3rd save of the season, and his 2nd save in three days. David Robertson is still the primary closer with four saves, but Ottavino is the next man up.
• 4/18: Miguel Castro grabbed the save for the Diamondbacks after Andrew Chafin gave up three runs over 1/3 of an inning. Castro has been pitching well and is a name to monitor in deeper leagues for saves.
• 4/18: Scott Barlow gave up a three-run homer in a non-save situation on Wednesday and has now surrendered seven earned over his last four outings. Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean frame. The fireballer’s only allowed two hits with a 13/2 K/BB mark across seven innings. He may tag into the ninth soon.
• 4/18: Trevor May was placed on the IL with issues relating to anxiety. For fantasy purposes, the A’s bullpen is best just left alone but if you must, Zach Jackson is the most interesting name.
• 4/18: Daniel Bard was officially activated from the IL and will be eased back into the closer’s role. Pierce Johnson should still get a couple of save chances before moving back into a setup role.
• 4/17: Rockies closer Daniel Bard spent some time on the IL due to anxiety, but he’s back with the team in Denver and should be activated this week. Pierce Johnson has three saves and has only really had one bad outing, but it’s safe to assume that once Bard is ready, he’ll reclaim the 9th inning before long.
• 4/17: It looks like the Marlins bullpen is settling in with Dylan Floro as the main 8th-inning guy and A.J. Puk as the closer. Puk is worth rostering in all formats right now.
• 4/17: Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer now have one save each for the Cubs. They’re co-closers, making up a committee with two members. Fulmer gets the slight fantasy nod thanks to having some more swing-and-miss stuff so far this season.
• 4/10: Emmanuel Clase doesn’t appear 100% with a 1.40 WHIP, 4/4 K/BB ratio, and three earned runs through five appearances. This comes after a sketchy spring as well. Keep James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan close. (*Brief Update: He seems to be stabilizing.)
• 4/9: The Mariners placed Andres Munoz on the IL with a shoulder injury. Paul Sewald will likely be the go-to closer for Seattle.
• 4/8: With Scott Barlow unavailable, Aroldis Chapman picked up a clean save for the Royals.
• 4/8: Kyle Finnegan pitched in the 8th inning, while Carl Edwards Jr. came into a save situation in the 9th and picked up a shaky save.
• 4/8: The Yankees placed Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation on Saturday. There is suddenly little depth behind Clay Holmes as Michael King hasn’t returned to 100%. Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio could play critical roles.
• 4/8: A healthy Brusdar Graterol fired a clean seventh inning on Friday while Dodger skipper Dave Roberts conceded there would be several nights where he’d save Evan Phillips for the ninth. He won’t officially anoint Phillips as a closer, but it bolsters the case.
• 4/6: The Dodgers have gone with a committee so far this season, but with Brusdar Graterol dealing with a tight back, manager Dave Roberts said he was saving Evan Phillips for a save chance. Phillips remains the favorite for saves in Los Angeles.
• 4/2: William Smith secured Sunday night’s save for the Rangers with a clean frame, even though Jose Leclerc had multiple rest days behind him. Smith faced the bottom of Philadelphia’s order but it is nevertheless meaningful to get the ninth, especially this early in the season.
• 4/1: Ryan Pressly was unavailable due to illness on Friday and Saturday, per Dusty Baker. That explains the saves from Rafael Montero and Hector Neris. This doesn’t sound too serious but Montero is a nice stash/add as a high-leverage RP on a winning team regardless.
• 3/31: The first Rockies save of the season went to Pierce Johnson, who protected a three-run lead on Friday night. Brad Hand worked the 8th inning, and that could continue to be the way things go until Daniel Bard (anxiety) is back on the mound.
• 3/31: The first Marlins win of the season ended with A.J. Puk on the mound for the save. Dylan Floro was used in the 8th inning, while Tanner Scott was used the night before in a game the Marlins trailed. Puk looks like the guy in Miami.
• 3/30: Chicago White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was called on to close out Thursday’s 3-2 Opening Day victory over the Houston Astros, nailing down his first career save.
• 3/30: Dany Jimenez pitched the ninth inning of the team’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night. He allowed no runs, walked one, and struck out one en route to his first save of the season. Trevor May was used in the 8th inning, and gave up a hit and a walk.
• 3/30: Rockies closer Daniel Bard will begin the season on the injured list due to anxiety. Pierce Johnson and Brad Hand will likely split save chances in his place until Bard is able to return.
• 3/23: A.J. Minter should step into Atlanta’s primary closer role with Raisel Iglesias shut down for a week due to shoulder inflammation. It is being classified as „low-grade” but any injury around the throwing arm requires close monitoring. We may also see Joe Jimenez, Collin McHugh, or Kirby Yates (who had 41 saves in 2019) step in for a few opportunities.
• 3/16: Edwin Diaz (knee) tore his patellar tendon while celebrating a World Baseball Classic victory on Wednesday night. He is headed for surgery and is expected to miss the 2023 season. David Robertson seems like the favorite for saves in the Mets bullpen now.
• 3/16: The Cubs bullpen is an open competition, but Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger are currently being viewed as the primary ninth-inning options. We’re likely looking at a committee, but Fulmer and Boxberger should be the two Cubs relievers with the most fantasy value.
• 2/16: Felix Bautista is still rehabbing his knee following surgery and is on a shoulder strengthening program, per The Baltimore Sun’s Nathan Ruiz. The shoulder is more concerning and puts his Opening Day status in jeopardy. Dillon Tate will also miss April with a flexor/forearm strain. This gives Cionel Perez and Bryan Baker some early intrigue. Perez suffocates lefties and Baker showed improved velo/results in the 'pen last year.
• 2/11: A.J. Puk is heading to Miami via trade and might be a high-leverage bullpen option against lefties given their deep rotation. The Marlins could have a maddening bullpen for us if both Puk and Barnes join the picture.
• 2/11: Andrew Chafin is now part of the Diamondbacks’ committee on a one-year deal, per Ken Rosenthal, which may lead to an eventual deadline flip. For now, he and Joe Mantiply are Arizona’s late-inning southpaws and Chafin becomes another late-round dart for saves.
• 2/10: The Cubs signed Michael Fulmer to join a crowded closer committee where several have a viable path to saves. Fulmer was flipped at the deadline last season, posting a 3.70 ERA (4.14 FIP) in 24 1/3 IP for Minnesota, and could see high-leverage chances for the Cubbies in 2023.
• 1/31: Matt Barnes gets a fresh start following a trade to Miami. He was DFA’d by Boston in late January before the deal after a tumultuous couple of seasons but regained form with a 1.59 ERA over 22 2/3 IP following a 60-day IL stint. He puts heat on Miami’s late-inning picture.
• 1/19: The Royals signed Aroldis Chapman after the southpaw hit 100 mph during a workout, but questions regarding consistency and control remain. His 9.4% K-BB rate in 2022 was easily a career-worst mark (24.3% in ’21) so he’ll have to earn trust from KC and fantasy teams alike.
• 1/9: Liam Hendriks revealed via Instagram that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and begins treatment shortly. White Sox GM Rick Hahn said the team doesn’t expect any updates prior to Opening Day. We expect Kendall Graveman and Reynaldo Lopez as favorites for saves in the meantime. Of course, bullpen fallout is nothing compared to battling cancer and we wish Hendriks well.
• 1/7: Gregory Soto was dealt to the Phillies as part of Rob Thomson’s closer committee, which hurts Soto’s fantasy value, as well as all PHI relievers. But it opens the door for Alex Lange as the frontrunner for saves in Detroit. Lange had that pesky 11.4% walk rate in ’22, but also the third-best swinging-strike rate (19.1%) of 152 qualified relievers. That’ll play.
• 1/3: Kenley Jansen signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox and enters 2023 as their primary closer. We’ll see how they use Tanner Houck given the starting depth available going into the year.
• 1/3: Jansen’s departure from the Braves opens the door for Raisel Iglesias to dominate Atlanta’s valuable and plentiful save opportunities. A top-3 RP season is within reach.
• 1/3: The Phillies took a flier on Craig Kimbrel, who could press Seranthony Dominguez into a fireman role should vintage Kimbrel appear. If not, Dominguez is the lead next to Jose Alvarado.
• 1/3: Carlos Estevez provides intrigue for the Angels. Now free from Coors, Estevez had a 34/6 K/BB ratio on the road in 2022 versus a 20/17 mark in Colorado.
• 1/3: There are several fluid situations to monitor throughout the offseason, with the Dodgers representing the most projectable saves without a clear answer. For now, Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson seem like frontrunners, with Brusdar Graterol and Alex Vesia sprinkled in.

2022 Season

• 9/30: With Kimbrel removed from the closer’s role, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, and Tommy Kahnle seem like the trio for the LA ninth inning, but David Price was just activated and could mix in as well.
• 9/30: The Cubs looked like they were starting to lean on Brandon Hughes, but Manuel Rodriguez has made his way into the hierarchy and the two look like co-closers at this point.
• 9/30: David Bednar is back and closing for the Pirates, although he might not pitch back-to-back games for now.
• 9/30: Mark Melancon got his first save since being removed from the closer’s role, but Reyes Moronta still looks like the leader of the desert committee.
• 9/23: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said closer Craig Kimbrel’s role is, „something that I’m just going to think through.” Sounds like we may have another closer committee on our hands, at least until the playoffs start.
• 9/21: David Bednar is expected back for Pittsburgh and should slide back into the ninth given the lack of other options. Bednar has thrown three rehab innings thus far, striking out four while scattering two hits and a walk.
• 9/21: Miami hasn’t offered up many save chances of late but Dylan Floro has earned the closer role back following Tanner Scott’s scuffles and a back injury. Floro has only allowed one run in his last eight games with two saves and a win in his last five.
• 9/21: Jose Leclerc’s last six appearances have yielded four saves and two losses. While there have been some tightrope acts, the 28-year-old is clearly the closer/high-leverage arm to roster for Texas.
• 9/21: A.J. Puk has been inconsistent, especially compared to Domingo Acevedo, with the latter ripping off a trio of saves in his last three appearances. Puk hasn’t notched a save since August 28 and Acevedo is the target here despite it still being a committee on paper.
• 9/21: Jorge Lopez’s struggles in Minnesota have opened the door for Jhoan Duran to secure a pair of saves over the past week. Side with Duran, who has a 0.87 ERA and 13.5 K/9 since August, down the stretch.
• 9/21: With Garrett Whitlock undergoing season-ending surgery, the Red Sox will feature a committee of John Schreiber, Matt Barnes, and a sprinkling of Matt Strahm down the stretch. Schreiber looks like the 1A chair.
• 9/9: Felix Bautista reported arm fatigue following his two-inning save on Tuesday so Brandon Hyde went to Dillon Tate for Friday’s save. They’re hoping he is available for Saturday but it’s something to monitor.
• 9/9: Josh Hader secured Wednesday’s save with nine pitches and now has two saves in his last three games. The southpaw only has one strikeout in those three innings and doesn’t currently resemble a shutdown arm, but he’s still crept back into the circle of trust. Nick Martinez had faced Arizona’s 1-3 hitters in the eighth.
• 9/9: Tanner Scott tweaked his back earlier this week and hasn’t appeared in a game since August 31. The Marlins turned to Dylan Floro for a late two-inning appearance on Thursday and he emerged with a win. Treat him as Miami’s favorite for saves.
• 8/30: Clay Holmes is back for the Yankees and now we hold our breath to see if he regained his elite first-half form. Don’t be surprised to see Wandy Peralta or Jonathan Loaisiga continue to work into the mix with Holmes fresh off of the IL.
• 8/30: Nick Martinez is the preferred closer for San Diego according to Bob Melvin. The skipper also said he wants to get Josh Hader to get back on track but fantasy teams only have a month of runway left to consider. Add Martinez where available.
• 8/25: Ryan Pressly is headed to the injured list, so Rafael Montero becomes the closer in Houston and should be added in most leagues.
• 8/23: Brandon Hughes struck out one over a perfect inning to earn the save. The 26-year-old has now recorded three saves in his last four appearances. Hughes has recently been Chicago’s primary closer.
• 8/23:  Matt Moore picked up his third save of the season. The Rangers have employed a number of arms in save situations this season and may not see a ton of them down the stretch, but Moore has now seen two in the last seven games.
• 8/22: Yankees relief pitcher Scott Effross has been placed on the IL, and Aroldis Chapman has struggled his past two outings. Jonathan Loaisiga may be the next man up, with Lou Trivino and Wandy Peralta mixed in.
• 8/22: The Phillies saw two of their top relievers land on the IL, with closer Seranthony Dominguez dealing with a triceps injury and former closer Corey Knebel done for the year with a shoulder issue. David Robertson will take over as closer full time.
• 8/22: With Josh Hader struggling even before he joined the Padres, his new team is going to give him „a break” from closing for the time being. Luis Garcia will likely lead the San Diego committee for now, but Nick Martinez is sure to mix in as well.
• 8/22: Alexis Diaz seems to have fully taken over as the closer in Cincinnati and is worth rostering in most leagues.
• 8/22: Pete Fairbanks has four of the last five Rays saves, so he seems to be the current head of the eternal Tampa Bay closer committee.
• 8/18: Jose Quijada is the only Angels pitcher with more than one save since the trade deadline. He and Ryan Tepera seem to be at the top of the committee, with Quijada perhaps having a slight edge.
• 8/18: With Clay Holmes officially on the IL, Aroldis Chapman came in for a save and struggled as he had most of the season. His „experience” might make him the favorite, but the Yankees have shown a willingness to move on in the past. Scott Effross could be the better bet while Holmes heals up.
• 8/16:  Matt Barnes struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the save. The right-hander has pitched well as of late, allowing just one run over his last 5 1/3 innings. With Tanner Houck (back) on the injured list, the Red Sox could turn to Barnes as the team’s primary closer.
• 8/16: Jason Adam earned his seventh save of the season in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Yankees. Adam entered the game up by two with two outs in the eighth inning and a runner on first.
• 8/15: The Philadelphia Phillies placed reliever Corey Knebel (lat) on the 15-day injured list on Monday due to a right lat strain.
• 8/14: Alexis Diaz pitched 1 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, grabbing his 5th save of the season. He is likely the closer moving forward.
• 8/14: Jose Quijada pitched a clean 9th to get his 3rd save of the year, and looks to be part of the Angels closing committee along with Ryan Tepera.
• Ian Kennedy locked down his 8th save of the season, while Mark Melancon pitched in the 8th inning and gave up a run.
• 8/14: Jason Adam closed the game for the Rays earning his 6th game of the season. Tampa Bay continues to utilize a closer by committee approach.
• 8/14: Carl Edwards Jr. earned the save during Saturday’s 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres. The 30-year-old has now notched two saves over his last three appearances. Fantasy managers searching for saves should look to add Edwards as he has been used as Washington’s primary closer over the last few games.
• 8/14:  Taylor Rogers turned in another poor outing on Sunday, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk to take his sixth loss of the season against just one win.
• 8/14: Jose Leclerc recorded his first save of the season Sunday, throwing a perfect inning with one strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners to secure a 5-3 victory.
• 8/13: New York Yankees reliever Scott Effross closed out his club’s 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, picking up his second save of the year and first with his new club. Clay Holmes didn’t pitch in this one, after blowing the save on Friday night. Aroldis Chapman pitched in the 7th and 8th innings. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next few days.
• 8/13: Texas Rangers reliever Jonathan Hernandez pitched a clean ninth inning on Saturday to close out the team’s 7-4 win over the Mariners.
• 8/12: The Seattle Mariners DFA’d relief pitcher Ken Giles on Friday. The 31-year-old has had major struggles staying healthy over the past few years, as he has pitched only eight innings since the start of 2020.
• 8/11: John Schreiber picked up his fourth save of the season on Thursday, retiring the last six batters of the ballgame to preserve a 4-3 win over the Orioles. With Tanner Houck on the injured list, Schreiber could be in line for more save opportunities since he owns a stellar 1.80 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with a 51/9 K/BB through 45 IP.
• 8/11: Rowan Wick converted his seventh save of the season on Thursday as his club topped the Reds 4-2 in the Field Of Dreams Game from Dyersville.
• 8/10: Hunter Strickland will be removed from the closer’s role after he blew his fourth save of the season on Sunday. Bell didn’t say exactly who might close out games moving forward, but Alexis Diaz is the best bet for the Reds and fantasy managers in need of saves at this juncture.
• 8/10: Taylor Rogers (knee) had a cortisone shot in his left knee over the weekend, which is why he was unavailable to pitch on Tuesday night. Rogers should be good to go soon. With Devin Williams also unavailable after a heavy recent workload, right-hander Matt Bush came on for the save.
• 8/9: Ian Kennedy has saves in three of Arizona’s last six games, with the latest one coming on Monday. Mark Melancon has picked up saves in two of those six games as well, including Tuesday night and Sunday night.
• 8/9: Seranthony Dominguez picked up his seventh save of the season in Tuesday’s 4-1 win. David Robertson pitched the eighth inning of this game but should also see save opportunities down the stretch. The lack of certainty may be frustrating for fantasy managers, but both are worth rostering in roto leagues at this time.
• 8/9: Felix Bautista earned his sixth save of the season and his second in the last two games in Tuesday’s 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.
• 8/9: Tanner Houck has been placed on the IL with lower back inflammation. Garrett Whitlock will probably be the favorite for save chances with Houck injured, with John Schreiber and Austin Davis also being late-inning options.
• 8/8: Ryan Tepera picked up his second save of the season in Monday’s 1-0 win over the A’s. However, four different relievers have seen save opportunities for the Angels since the trade deadline, when Raisel Iglesias was traded. Tepera may be the best bet for fantasy managers chasing saves given his prior experience.
• 8/7: Mark Melancon was back at it, getting the save for the Diamondbacks. We’ll call this a committee for now.
• 8/5: Mark Melancon has been officially removed as the closer, and Ian Kennedy grabbed the first save for the Diamondbacks.
• 8/5: Jesse Chavez blew the save for the Angels, and Jimmy Herget nailed it down in the 10th inning for his second save of the year. Jose Quijada pitched in the 8th.
• 8/5: Devin Williams secured the first save for the Brewers in the post-Josh Hader era.
• 8/5: Colin Poche ran into some trouble, but nailed down the save for the Rays. That’s the third different pitcher to get a save for Tampa Bay this week.
• 8/4: Jonathan Hernandez closed out the game for the Rangers, picking up his second save of the year with a clean inning and two strikeouts. Matt Moore pitched the 8th inning and allowed a run.
• 8/4: Zach Jackson was given the save opportunity for the Athletics, but had to be rescued by A.J. Puk who get the one-out save. Dany Jimenez pitched the 8th inning in this one.
• 8/3: David Bednar was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday afternoon. We will tentatively go with the committee tag as both Wil Crowe and Yerry De Los Santos have three saves on the year and while Crowe got Tuesday’s save, De Los Santos has stronger ratios and slightly more whiffs.
• 8/3: Jorge Lopez grabbed the save for the Twins, his first on his new team, pitching a clean ninth inning with one strikeout. We have placed him at the top of this bullpen for now.
• 8/3: Zach Jackson nailed down the save, pitching a clean inning with two strikeouts. A.J. Puk pitched in the 7th inning, while Dany Jimenez was not used.
• 8/3: Jason Adam grabbed the save for the Rays, with Pete Fairbanks pitching in the 8th inning. Both had strong outings with two strikeouts each.
• 8/2: Jose Quijada grabbed the save for the Angels, while Ryan Tepera was not used at all. It was their first save chance since Raisel Iglesias was traded, and we’ve put him at the top of the committee for now.
• 8/2: While it wasn’t a save situation, it should be noted that Kyle Finnegan pitched the 7th and 8th innings, while Carl Edwards Jr. pitched the 9th in the Nationals victory against the Mets. We will put this is a committee for now.
• 8/2: Reports from Pittsburgh say David Bednar’s lower back is still ailing him, with Derek Shelton saying a determination regarding the injured list would come in the next day or two. Wil Crowe picked up his third save of the season on Tuesday night, with Yerry De Los Santos pitching the eighth. They’d both be of interest should Bednar hit the IL.
• 8/2: Dany Jimenez was activated by Oakland on Tuesday and should re-enter the late-inning picture for the A’s. He looked steady as Oakland’s closer before a stumble led to a stint on the injured list, but now he could recapture the role outright or join a committee.
• 8/2: Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde said that Felix Bautista, Cionel Perez, and Dillon Tate are all closing candidates, per The Baltimore Sun’s Nathan Ruiz. Given the upside, we’re still prioritizing Bautista as the add.
• 8/2: Raisel Iglesias and his large contract are off to Atlanta, where he’ll presumably provide injury insurance for Kenley Jansen. Perhaps Jansen’s back is already more serious than we know. As for the Angels, neither Ryan Tepera nor Aaron Loup has been solid of late but Tepera is the right-hander. Jesse Chavez came over from Atlanta and could be a factor as well.
• 8/2: David Robertson was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, which means he joins Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand in the late-inning mix. This is not a clear situation, with Dominguez still the best arm of the trio. Shortly after that, the Cubs also dealt Mychal Givens to the Mets. That leaves Rowan Wick as the frontrunner for closing duties in Chicago’s North Side.
• 8/2: Jorge Lopez was dealt to the Twins and presumably takes the closer’s role there as Jhoan Duran continues his own high-leverage fireman duties. Felix Bautista and his nasty splitter should step into the ninth for Baltimore, with that 34.3% strikeout rate making him a premier add wherever available. If they opt to keep him in a flexible fireman role then don’t lose sight of Dillon Tate.
• 8/1: Lou Trivino went to the Yankees with Frankie Montas today, which leaves the door open in Oakland. We expect A.J. Puk and Zach Jackson to share closing duties as a lefty-righty pairing, but don’t lose sight of the rehabbing Dany Jimenez.
• 8/1: Josh Hader has been traded to the Padres in a blockbuster, with Taylor Rogers going to Milwaukee alongside others. Luis Garcia’s run in the ninth is over in SD (sorry FAAB aggressors) while Rogers may eventually siphon a few southpaw saves from Devin Williams in MIL. The stove is hot!
• 8/1: Scott Effross was traded to the Yankees on Monday morning, which should grant more hold opportunities but little chance at saves. We imagine more Cubbie relievers will be moving soon.
• 7/31: Luis Garcia grabbed the save, pitching a clean ninth inning with a strikeout. This was the first save for the Padres since Taylor Rogers was demoted. Rogers did not pitch at all, while Nabil Crismatt pitched the 7th and Tim Hill pitched the 8th.
• 7/30: Pete Fairbanks locked down another save, his second in a row. He has now converted the last two save chances for the Rays, and is squarely in the mix as part of the closer committee moving forward. He may even be the favorite, and we’ve moved him to the front of the committee for now.
• 7/30: The Rockies have signed closer Daniel Bard to a two-year contract extension, for some reason. One of the top relief pitcher trade candidates is now presumably off the market.
• 7/29:  Taylor Rogers has been removed from the closer role, according to manager Bob Melvin. Since May 28, Rogers has compiled a 8.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP while converting just 11 of 18 save opportunities. For now, the Padres will go by committee. In deeper leagues, names like Luis Garcia and Nick Martinez should be watched carefully as they should see some opportunities. Nick Martinez has been placed on the paternity list, so Adrian Morejon may be in the mix as well.
• 7/28: The Cubs know they’re going to trade closer David Robertson, so they’re being extra careful with him in the days leading up to the deadline. He was unavailable for two straight days this week despite no real workload concerns, and may only get one more appearance before putting on a new uniform. Both Mychal Givens and Scott Effross picked up the saves instead.
• 7/28: Paul Sewald seemed to have taken complete control of the Mariners bullpen, but he’s seen two eighth innings in a row. These were very high leverage innings, but not save situations just yet, making Sewald look more like the Seattle fireman than outright closer. They may be back to a committee approach.
• 7/28: Taylor Rogers was charged with his second blown save in as many days. He gave up three hits and two earned runs while recording two outs. Rogers is tied for first in the majors with 28 saves, but his seven blown saves lead the majors as well. If the Padres were to move on from Rogers, we’d likely see either Luis Garcia or Nick Martinez earn a shot at ninth-inning duties.
• 7/23: Michael King has been diagnosed with a fractured elbow and will miss the rest of the season. The Yankees bullpen is suddenly looking more vulnerable.
• 7/22: Aroldis Chapman had a terrible outing, giving up three earned runs and almost blowing the game while only getting one out. We wouldn’t expect him to see saves chances anytime soon.
• 7/15: Brooks Raley was called for the save and converted it. This is his second save in a row for the Rays, and looks to be part of the closer committee in Tampa Bay.
• 7/15: Josh Hader was hit hard once again during his save opportunity. He entered with the Brewers up 5-2 and he went on to give up three home runs, including a walk-off grand slam.
• 7/14: Alexis Diaz secured Tuesday’s save for his third on the season before allowing an unearned run via two wild pitches in extras on Wednesday. Boasting triple-digit heat and a nasty slider (which can get away!), Diaz is the high-leverage arm and could see more saves if Hunter Strickland’s one-year contract is traded.
• 7/14: Brett Martin now has three saves so we can shed the committee label for now. Don’t be thrown off by Garrett Richards’ one-pitch save on Wednesday, as Martin had worked the previous two days.
• 7/13:  Tanner Rainey (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list due to a UCL sprain. He’s slated to miss the majority of the second half of the season, if not all of it. Kyle Finnegan will be the next man up at closer.
• 7/13: Kenley Jansen is back in the Braves bullpen and should immediately regain his closer’s role. Will Smith and A.J. Minter filled in well, but they’ll return to setup roles.
• 7/13: Corey Knebel picked up a save for the Phillies, but it was only because Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand were unavailable. Still, Knebel has eight scoreless outings in a row and could be working his way back toward at least a consistent setup role.
• 7/9: Craig Kimbrel lock down the save and all appears to be well for now.
• 7/9: Brett Martin picked up his 2nd save in two days, and appears to be the favorite in Texas as the closer.
• 7/9: A.J. Minter grabbed another save, picking up the last two for the Braves, and is likely the favorite in a committee with Will Smith.
• 7/8: Joe Barlow has been removed from closing for the time being to alleviate some stress on him and allow for a reset. Skipper Chris Woodward mentioned Dennis Santana, Brett Martin, and Matt Moore as arms that can step in. Jose Leclerc could be a factor in the second half as he continues to build up toward high-leverage spots. Martin logged the save on Friday night.
• 7/7: Craig Kimbrel was back in action on Wednesday with a scoreless inning for the win. But he ran into trouble on Thursday with two outs and was lifted with 31 pitches as Alex Vesia stepped in for the save. The closer wasn’t allowing hard contact and should still have the job in hand, but the ice keeps thinning.
• 7/4: Liam Hendriks was activated from the IL and will reclaim his closer role from Kendall Graveman who filled in nicely.
• 7/3: Craig Kimbrel blew the save on Sunday for three BS in his last seven appearances. He also took a comebacker just below the scapula and is now down for a couple of days, though post-game scans were negative. Evan Phillips, Yency Almonte, and Brusdar Graterol are among the names who may score a save or two in the meantime. Dave Roberts said he’s “not even considering” a role change for Kimbrel, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
• 7/2:  Emilio Pagan has officially been removed from the closer’s role. The Twins will have him pitch in lower-leverage situations until he gets back on track. It’s the Jhoan Duran show now.
• 6/29: Emilio Pagan blew another save, and has been giving up a lot of runs recently. It will be interesting to see if Jhoan Duran overtakes him as the closer.
• 6/29: Paul Sewald nailed down another save, his 3rd in the last six games. He’s received the last three save changes with Diego Castillo mostly working as the setup man.
• 6/29: A.J. Minter got the first save chance on Tuesday, while Will Smith did not pitch in the game. On Wednesday, Will Smith got the save and Minter did not pitch. This will likely be a split-closer situation.
• 6/28: Kenley Jansen was placed on the injured list due to an irregular heartbeat. It’s unclear how long he’ll need to be out, but Will Smith should take any save chances that come up in the meantime, with A.J. Minter possibly mixing in as well.
• 6/28: Matt Bush landed on the injured list, so the Rangers will likely have Dennis Santana on the mound for key hold situations.
• 6/28: Josh Staumont is dealing with a neck strain and made his way to the IL. Dylan Coleman will likely take the eighth inning for the Royals for now.
• 6/26: Lou Trivino seems to be emerging again as the Athletics closer, picking up the last two saves for Oakland.
• 6/25: Daniel Hudson fell off the mound and tore his ACL while throwing a pitch, ending his season. He’s vowed to return next season, but 2022 is over for the Dodgers leader in holds. Brusdar Graterol should slide into Hudson’s role as the main setup guy ahead of closer Craig Kimbrel.
• 6/25: Ken Giles is back and pitching in big league games. He probably won’t close any time soon, but his contract definitely says „closer” on it with basically a $7 million salary. He’s worth keeping an eye on if he can stay healthy and pitch well.
• 6/25: Jake McGee has an ERA just under 7. That won’t do well in late inning, high leverage situations. Camilo Doval remains the primary closer in San Francisco, and Dominic Leone should start seeing some of the more significant innings for the Giants.
• The Baltimore bullpen is…really good. Not really a news update but fantasy managers in holds leagues can take a look at most of the guys in the Orioles bullpen and get some value.
• 6/21: Dany Jimenez was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. A.J. Puk and Zach Jackson have been the team’s top two relievers recently and either could be an option for saves with Jimenez out. The team could also opt to give Lou Trivino another shot at the closing role. He opened the year as the team’s closer, but he’s been dreadful with an 8.66 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP on the season. If you want to gamble on someone here, take a chance on Puk, who has a stellar 1.93 ERA and 5.2 K/BB ratio on the year.
• 6/20: Kendall Graveman pitched in the 8th inning, facing the heart of the lineup, while Joe Kelly secured the save and gave up a two-run home run along the way.
• 6/19: Craig Kimbrel struggled in a save situation, and blew the game for the Dodgers. Likely no changes coming here, but it should be noted that he’s struggled over the past few weeks.
• 6/18: Seranthony Dominguez locked down the save, and this looks to be a committee for the Phillies. We’ll give Dominguez the slight edge since he’s a righty.
• 6/17:  Brad Hand recorded his second save of the season, while Seranthony Dominguez faced the heart of the Nationals order. Hand also came in to face a lefty, so it looks like the back end of the Phillies bullpen will be used on a matchup basis.
• 6/17:  Tanner Houck earned his third save of the year. He came on in the ninth inning with two outs and a man on first base while the team had a 6-2 lead. Houck has earned each of this three saves since June 10 and has emerged as the team’s preferred ninth inning arm.
• 6/16: Aaron Boone has said that once Aroldis Chapman returns from the injured list, Clay Holmes will be used in „high-leverage situations against the toughest parts of opposing lineups”. He likely won’t be working exclusively as the closer once Chapman returns, which will obviously impact his fantasy value, but will be a situation to monitor.
• 6/15: After another rough outing, Corey Knebel has been moved out of the closer’s role for the Phillies. They’ll go with a committee approach for now.
• 6/15: The Marlins may have found a closer in Tanner Scott, who has converted all five of his save chances, four of those coming in the past four save opportunities the Marlins have had.
• 6/15: The Marlins lost one of their key setup men, as Cole Sulser was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain.
• 6/14: Liam Hendriks has been placed on the IL, and Kendall Graveman will likely take over as the closer for as long as he’s sidelined.
• 6/12: Tanner Houck picked up his second save, and has now nailed down the last two save chances for the Rex Sox. We’re putting him at the top of their bullpen for now, as he be emerging as the team’s closer.
• 6/12: Alexis Diaz was given today’s save chance, and converted it, but gave up two earned runs alongs the way. Tony Santillan pitched in the 7th inning. This is a messy bullpen and probably best to avoid.
• 6/11: Corey Knebel experienced tightness in his shoulder while warming up. He did not enter Saturday’s game and is considered day-to-day. Seranthony Dominguez or Brad Hand will compete for the closer job if Knebel misses time.
• 6/10: Tanner Houck got the save while Matt Strahm pitched in the 8th inning. John Schreiber pitched earlier in the game.
• 6/10: Dany Jimenez blew the save again, and may be replaced as the closer any day. He has allowed 12 runs over his last five appearances. Both Sam Moll and A.J. Puk could be getting looks in the ninth inning here soon.
• 6/10: Andrew Kittredge will undergo Tommy John surgery and is out for the year.
• 6/9: Tanner Scott nailed the save, striking out two. The 27-year-old has recorded two saves over his last four appearances, and looks to be the closer in Miami for now.
• 6/9: Jason Adam locked down the save today, giving up a walk with one strikeout. With Andrew Kittredge on the IL, Adam may be the favorite for saves, along with Colin Poche who had not pitched since Tuesday.
• 6/9: Tony Sanillan blew the save horribly, getting through just 1/3 of an inning and giving up four runs (two earned), costing the Reds the game. Alexis Diaz pitched the 7th and 8th innings giving up just one walk, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will get the next chance.
• 6/9: Andrew Kittredge is heading back to the IL with an elbow injury. He is likely headed for surgery to have a loose body removed from his elbow, and he’ll be out at least a month.
• 6/8: Diego Castillo grabbed another save, striking out the side, while Paul Sewald pitched in the 8th inning. In his last four appearances Castillo has two saves and two wins, while racking up nine strikeouts in five innings.
• 6/8: Matt Strahm nailed down the save, his second save in two days. John Schreiber pitched the 8th and stayed in for one out in the 9th, and then Strahm was brought in. This is a fluid situation to monitor, and we have both in a committee for now.
• 6/8: With Craig Kimrel on paternity leave, Daniel Hudson got the save. Kimbrel has been a bit shaky recently, while Hudson has locked down the last two saves for the Dodgers. Kimbrel’s job is most likely secure, but Hudson has elite ratios and should be rostered in most formats.
• 6/5: Heading into the 9th inning with an 8-3 lead, the Twins called on Tyler Duffey to wrap up the game. He allowed three runs while only getting two outs. Rookie Jovani Moran came in and allowed a hit, but got the last out of the game and the first save of his career. Jhoan Duran had pitched the 8th inning, and Emilio Pagan was unavailable.
• 6/5: Andrew Kittredge returned from the injured list this weekend. His five saves lead the Tampa Bay Rays, but there’s never a guarantee with this team. Kittredge, Poche, Thompson, Adam, and Raley all seem equally likely to earn a save on any given night.
• 6/5: J.P. Feyereisen and his 0.00 ERA was placed on the injured list with a shoulder impingement. Colin Poche earned his third save this weekend, joining Brooks Raley and Ryan Thompson for second place on the Rays, behind the aforementioned Kittredge’s five.
• 6/5: Raisel Iglesias is healthy and is still the closer for the Angels, but he hasn’t been in a game since May 27th. With the Angels losing 11 in a row, they just haven’t needed their closer in a while. He told manager Joe Maddon that he does not need to be in a game just for the sake of getting work.
• 6/5: Tanner Houck looks like the newest member of the Red Sox committee and may have a chance to work his way into the closer’s role if he pitches well. He was warming up for a save chance on Friday before the Red Sox added on, and then for a key 8th inning appearance before the offense added on again. He’s worth keeping an eye on in all formats.
• 6/4: Camilo Doval is probably still the best closing option in San Francisco, but he’s come into the 6th inning twice this week, dropping him to questionable in the hierarchy. We might be seeing a full on committee in the Bay.
• 6/1: Tony Santillan locked down his second save in three days, and now leads the team in saves. We’ll put him at the top of this committee for now, and see how it plays out.
• 6/1: A pair of Matts going in different directions for the Red Sox, as Matt Barnes was placed on the 15-day IL while Matt Strahm cleared COVID protocols and was activated.
• 6/1: David Bednar was expectedly unavailable on Tuesday after throwing 50 pitches on Monday, so Wil Crowe earned the save for the Pirates. Chris Stratton remained in the 8th inning, with Crowe taking Bednar’s place in the 9th. Bednar remains rock solid as a fantasy asset in all formats.
• 5/30: The best reliever in baseball so far this season, J.P. Feyereisen, finally earned his first save of the season on Sunday night. Feyereisen has a 0.39 WHIP and has yet to give up a run through 23 innings. There’s still no clear closer in Tampa Bay though.
• 5/29: Cole Sulser was used in a non-save situation and got touched up for four earned runs. Not a great outing to say the least, and the Marlins bullpen us pretty bare right now for saves.
• 5/29: Hansel Robles heading to the IL makes the Red Sox bullpen even more confusing. John Schreiber seems like he’s ascending into more and more high-leverage innings, but the only thing clear here is that there’s no clear closer right now.
• 5/29: Craig Kimbrel wasn’t feeling well on Saturday night, so Daniel Hudson went out and got the save against the DBacks. Not much to see here, except that Hudson is the clear direct backup to Kimbrel.
• 5/29: Colin Poche has now converted the last two Rays save opportunities while Brooks Raley hasn’t saved a game in two weeks. No one ever really knows which Rays pitcher will be on the mound for the next save chance, but Poche at least has his arrow pointing up.
• 5/29: Cole Sulser earned the save for the Marlins on Saturday and while it’s likely to remain a committee in Miami for a bit, Sulser seems like the guy most likely to get a save on any given day.
• 5/27: It was Ryan Helsley who locked down the save, and not Giovanny Gallegos. We may finally be seeing a changing of the guard, with Helsley the new Cardinals closer.
• 5/27: Art Warren grabbed the save, pitching 1 2/3 innings, with one strikeout and hit allowed. We’re putting this as a committee with Warren and Hunter Strickland for now.
• 5/26: The Mariners sent Drew Steckenrider down to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday. He’s mostly struggled this season after an excellent 2021 and will get some time to work things out in the minors. Paul Sewald, Andres Munoz, and Diego Castillo will continue to form the Seattle closer by committee.
• 5/26: The White Sox sent Joe Kelly to the injured list due to a strained hamstring. He was working in a setup role with Kendall Graveman ahead of closer Liam Hendriks. Aaron Bummer figures to join the hierarchy in Chicago until Kelly is able to return.
• 5/26: Josh Hader has been reinstated from the Family Medical Emergency list and should resume his role as the Brewers closer right away.
• 5/26: Hunter Strickland picked up his first save of the year for the Reds, and may be the most likely candidate for the closer role.
• 5/26: Colin Poche was given the save opportunity for Tampa Bay, and converted it successfully. J.P. Feyereisen pitched a clean 8th inning, while Brooks Raley didn’t pitch at all. It will likely be a committee situation, but Poche is in the mix.
• 5/25: Anthony Bender was placed on the injured list with back stiffness. The Opening Day closer for the Marlins has struggled this season but was looking better of late. Cole Sulser, Dylan Floro, and Anthony Bass will pitch the high-leverage innings for the Marlins.
• 5/24: Aroldis Chapman has been officially placed on the 15-day injured list, leaving Clay Holmes as the presumed closer in the Bronx for now.
• 5/24: Paul Sewald locked down the save on Monday night, while Diego Castillo pitched a clean 8th inning. Drew Steckenrider did not pitch during the same.
• 5/24: Giovanny Gallegos pitched in the 8th inning of a tie game, facing the heart of the Toronto lineup. Ryan Helsley pitched the 9th while Genesis Cabrera pitched the 10th. Nobody earned a save but the pecking order is worth monitoring.
• 5/23: Josh Hader was placed on the family medical emergency list. He will not be available for Monday night’s game and it’s unclear at this point how long he’ll be away. Devin Williams will likely serve as the team’s closer with Hader out.
• 5/23: Aroldis Chapman had an ugly outing, and it was then reported that he’s dealing with an Achilles injury. His MRI came back clean today, but he’s still likely to be unavailable for a bit and may require a trip to the IL. Clay Holmes looks to be the next guy up, especially with Chad Green out for the year with Tommy John surgery.
• 5/22:  Andrew Kittredge (back) was placed on the IL on Sunday. Kittredge has been unavailable for a few days, and the Rays are hoping he’ll have a minimum stay on the injured list. In the meantime, the Rays could use a closer committee between Brooks Raley and J.P. Feyereisen. Raley should be your first target if you’re in need of saves.
• 5/21: Matt Barnes pitched a perfect inning to pickup his second save of the season, striking out one batter. With the game tied Jake Diekman pitched the 6th while Hansel Robles pitched the 7th, and John Scheiber pitched the 8th.
• 5/21: Drew Steckenrider was activated but took the loos against Boston. He entered in the 8th inning of a tie game but gave up a run, and Paul Sewald entered to finish out the inning.
• 5/20: Jordan Romano returned to the Blue Jays and locked down a save. He is good to go, and his absence was just a temporary one.
• 5/20: Diego Castillo entered in the 8th inning and gave up two earned runs. Seattle was already down by a run, but he is likely behind both Stechenrider and Sewald in the bullpen depth charts.
• 5/19: Tony Santillan got the save today, pitching in both the 8th and 9th innings without allowing a hit, walk or run. This is a messy bullpen, and may be best to avoid for saves chasers.
• 5/19: Both Jorge Lopez and Giovanny Gallegos took blown saves today. Felix Bautista relieved Lopez, and eventually got the win, while Gallegos gave up a two-run walk off home run.
• 5/19: David Robertson is back. After a week and a half on the COVID IL, the Cubs closer tossed a clean ninth inning with two strikeouts. It wasn’t a save situation, but we expect Robertson to be back on the mound the next time the Cubs have one.
• 5/19: Joe Barlow is dealing with a blister, or „hot spot” on his finger, which left him unavailable for a save situation on Wednesday. He’s not expected to need too much time off, but he may be unavailable for a few more games, potentially leading to another Matt Bush save opportunity.
• 5/18: Josh Hader was unavailable to pitch as he was dealing with a personal family matter. There isn’t much more info available at this time, but he’s expected back on Friday.
• 5/17: With Jordan Romano still unavailable, Adam Cimber nailed down his second consecutive save, over the past two games. He is clearly the backup here over Yimi Garcia.
• 5/17: Although it wasn’t a save situation, Cole Sulser pitched the 9th inning for the Marlins. Tanner Scott pitched in the 8th, Anthony Bender pitched in the 5th, and Dylan Floro was nowhere to be found.
• 5/17: Art Warren blew the save for the Reds, and Alexis Diaz cleaned it up in the 10th inning to grab his first career save. The Reds depth chart has been updated accordingly.
• 5/17: Josh Staumont picked up the save, pitching for the 4th time in the last six games. Scott Barlow was likely unavailable, after pitching in two of the last three games, and taking a loss on Monday night after throwing 28 pitches.
• 5/16: Updating a previous report, closer Jordan Romano is day-to-day with a non-COVID-19 illness. Romano was unavailable to pitch in Monday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, but he was seen in the bullpen and is not contagious. With Romano unavailable on Monday, Adam Cimber recorded his second save of the year in the 6-2 win over Seattle.
• 5/16: Daniel Bard turned in his third straight sub-par performance in Monday’s 7-6 loss to the Giants. Bard entered to pitch the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 6-6. Bard has earned nine saves this season but has now allowed earned runs in each of his last three outings with a blown save and two losses.
• 5/16:  Scott Barlow was tagged with his first loss of the season. He came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 3-3 and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. He stayed on to pitch the 10th with a ghost runner on second. He got the first two outs on a groundout and a strikeout, but then gave up a two-run home run to Luis Robert and allowed a walk before being removed from the game.
• 5/16: Gregory Soto locked down the save, and seems to be safe for now after a rough few outings. Michael Fulmer pitched in the 8th inning, and this will be a situation to monitor over the next few days and weeks.
• 5/16: Jordan Romano is unavailable for Monday’s game, and is being evaluated by the medical staff. It’s unknown what the issue is, or if he’s dealing with an injury that may require an IL stint. Those speculating for saves should pickup Yimi Garcia as a backup insurance plan, in case Romano misses any time. Adam Cimber could be in the mix as well, but Garcia would likely get the first chance.
• 5/14: One day after his horrible showing, Gregory Soto got a vote of confidence from his manager and also nailed down the save. This is a fluid situation to monitor.
• 5/14:  Mark Melancon allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while failing to record an out during Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Cubs. He was tagged with the loss after entering a tied game in the ninth inning. His days as Arizona’s closer could end as the right-hander has now allowed seven runs over his last 1 2/3 innings.
• 5/13: Paul Sewald played the high-leverage role of the firefighter in the 7th and 8th innings, while Drew Steckenrider locked down his second save of the year.
• 5/13: Gregory Soto had another bad outing, this time hitting the first two batters he faced before allowing a 3rd baserunner and subsequently getting yanked. The Tigers pulled it out, with Will Vest bailing him out for the save. Michael Fulmer was unavailable after pitching the previous two days, and would be our bet for taking over the closer’s role for the time being.
• 5/12: Lucas Sims is back on the injured list, leaving the Reds bullpen once again with a committee consisting of Tony Santillan, Art Warren, and Hunter Strickland.
• 5/12: Jake McGee was placed on the IL, giving Camilo Doval the full share of the closer’s role, at least until McGee returns.
• 5/12: Jorge Lopez was placed on the bereavement list, so Dillon Tate and Felix Bautista will likely form a committee for a few days.
• 5/11: David Bednar locked down a two inning save, with Chris Stratton pitching in the 7th and struggling. We’re bumping Bednar up here for now as the lead guy.
• 5/10: Dany Jimenez has been really good. Lou Trivino has been really bad. This is trending towards Jimenez moving forward being the closer.
• 5/10: Dylan Floro was activated from the injured list and should immediately see significant innings and work his way into the closer’s role. While he may get an outing or two in a lower leverage situation before being thrown into a save situation, you just never know with Don Mattingly: Floro could end up playing center field and we wouldn’t be surprised.
• 5/10: David Robertson’s comeback season will have to be put on pause, as he’s on the COVID IL. Rowan Wick will likely lead the committee for the Cubs, but the job will go back to Robertson once he’s back on the roster.
• 5/8: Anthony Bender pitched the 6th inning (protecting a two run lead) and Cole Sulser came in for the save. He blew it and took the loss, allowing three runs on a walkoff homer to Jorge Alfaro.
• 5/7: Jhoan Duran got a two inning save, racking up five strikeouts. Emilio Pagan was unavailable, but it’s a situation to monitor as Duran has electric stuff.
• 5/6: Brooks Raley locked down his 2nd save in two days, cleaning up for Ryan Thompson who started the 9th. Andrew Kittredge had gotten three in a row earlier in the week, so he was likely unavailable.
• 5/6: Rafael Montero locked down the save, with Ryan Pressley likely unavailable. He was just activated from the IL, and had a poor outing, but there is likely not much to see here.
• 5/5:  Ryan Pressly was credited with the win despite blowing his second save of the season. It was the right-hander’s first appearance back from the IL. There should be some concern with Pressly’s health moving forward, but we will need to see a couple more outings.
• 5/4: Lou Trivino returned from the COVID IL, and it did not go well. Trivino was able to escape the ninth with a tie after another Oakland reliever gave up the lead, but he ended up allowing five runs in the 10th inning. He should be part of the committee, but may not regain his full closer role for a bit.
• 5/3: Josh Hader (back) was unavailable on Tuesday due to mid-back spasms. The hard-throwing left-hander is day-to-day for now. Hader has not taken the mound since April 27 when he earned a save, and his back injuries first surfaced on Saturday.
• 5/3: Lou Trivino is expected to be activated from the COVID-related injured list ahead on Tuesday. Dany Jimenez has converted all four of his save opportunities without allowing a run. It will be interesting to see how things play out once Trivino is back.
• 5/2: Ian Kennedy picked up his second save of the season in Monday’s 5-4 win over the Marlins. Kennedy has earned both of his saves since Mark Melancon was placed on the COVID-19 injured list last Friday.
• 5/2: Jhoan Duran picked up his first save of the season on Monday. Four pitchers have seen save opportunities for the Twins this season, and while Emilio Pagan has seen the most with three, he pitched the eighth inning in this game. It still seems like Pagan is the Twins bullpen arm to roster, but Duran may be worth keeping an eye on.
• 5/2: Rafael Montero picked up his second save of the season on Monday, with a 0.87 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and three walks in 10 1/3 innings pitched. However, Ryan Pressly (knee) will resume his closer duties once he returns from the injured list.
• 5/2: Chad Green picked up his second save of the season in Monday’s 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. He is second on the team in save opportunities but is clearly being Aroldis Chapman, who has seen six save opportunities and picked up saves in the team’s previous two games.
• 4/29: Mark Melancon is heading to the injured list, presumably the COVID IL as there was no designation given. While he’s away, Ian Kennedy should take over the ninth inning, but Joe Mantiply and Noe Ramirez could find themselves in save situations as well.
• 4/29: Cole Sulser picked up a four-out save for the Marlins, but it was mostly because Anthony Bender was unavailable after pitching two days in a row. Bender remains Miami’s closer, at least until Dylan Floro returns.
• 4/29: Two days, two Astros saves. One for Ryne Stanek and another for Rafael Montero. Looks like Hector Neris is the odd man out until Ryan Pressly returns, but who knows? Maybe he gets the next save and it’s a three-headed monster.
• 4/28: Ryne Stanek throws 100 now, and he got the first save for the Astros with Ryan Pressly on the IL. We’ll move him to the temporary closer’s role ahead of Hector Neris.
• 4/27: Anthony Bender locked down another save, including getting out of an 8th inning jam, pitching 1 1/3 clean innings for his 4th save of the season. He’s clearly the closer in Miami, and could take control of the job with a few more strong outings even once Dylan Floro is back.
• 4/26: Anthony Bender pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Looks like the Tanner Scott/Louis Head combo was only closing due to Bender’s injury and now that he’s healthy again he’s still the guy despite an inflated 6.75 ERA.
• 4/24: Drew Steckenrider was given the save chance, pitching the 9th inning of a 1-0 game, but blew the save allowing a game-tying run.
• 4/24: The recently-activated Lucas Sims locked down his first save of the season, and looks to be the Reds go-to guy going forward.
• 4/24: David Bednar locked down another save, while Stratton entered in the 8th. This is a committee situation for now.
• 4/24: Tanner Scott had a miserable outing, in a non-save situation, getting torched for 3 ER in just 1/3 of an inning.
• 4/23: Hansel Robles got the save chance, but couldn’t get the job down, taking a blown save and loss in extra innings.
• 4/23: Rangers manager Chris Woodward officially called right-hander Joe Barlow his „closer.” Barlow wasn’t available on Saturday after pitching Thursday and Friday. Matt Bush entered the ninth inning to protect a 2-0 lead and notched his first save.
• 4/23: Alex Colome allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one across over an inning to secure the save in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Tigers.
• 4/23: Tanner Scott earned his first save of the season and the second of his career on Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning for the Marlins. It’s unclear if this was a one-time thing, or if Scott will be the next guy up after Anthony Bender’s struggles. Scott has elite upside and should at least be on your watch list right now.
• 4/22: Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chris Stratton earned the save in Friday’s 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He has now recorded saves on back-to-back days. They are his first two saves on the year.
• 4/22: Seattle’s young flamethrower Andres Munoz picked up his first save, and has been putting up elite ratios.
• 4/22: Matt Barnes notched his first save of the season, pitching only 1/3 of an inning. Hansel Robles pitched the 8th, and Jake Diekman started the 9th, but gave up three walks and had to be bailed out by Barnes. It will be interesting to see if Barnes gets the next save chance, as Alex Cora stated that’s his preference.
• 4/22: Lucas Sims (elbow) was activated from the injured list on Friday. Sims could eventually become the favorite for saves with the Reds, but he could initially be eased into a committee approach to the ninth inning alongside Tony Santillan, Art Warren and Hunter Strickland.
• 4/22: The Dodgers sent Blake Treinen to the injured list with shoulder discomfort. Craig Kimbrel will continue to close in LA, but now his main setup guy will be Daniel Hudson.
• 4/21: Emilio Pagan closed out the team’s 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday to earn his first save of the year. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one walk and no hits.
• 4/20: And just like that, Scott Barlow gets the save while Josh Staumont pitched in the 8th inning (facing the 9-1-2 hitters in the lineup). We’ll leave this as a committee for now, leaning slightly towards Staumont for now.
• 4/20: Alex Cora said that Matt Barnes is „getting close to himself”, and that once Barnes is back to being himself, the team will „use him in the ninth.” This is big news from Cora as the team has been going with something of a committee approach for the ninth inning this year.
• 4/19: Josh Staumont nailed down his second save in the last three days, while Scott Barlow pitched in the 8th inning of both games. We are changing this bullpen for now, as Staumont seems to be the current closer.
• 4/19: Garrett Whitlock picked up the save, while Hansel Robles and Jake Diekman pitched in the 8th inning. This entire bullpen is a fluid situation still.
• 4/19: Tyler Duffey pitched in the 6th inning, with the Twins down by a run. He gave up two earned runs, and this may be a hint that he won’t be getting save opportunities.
• 4/18: Alex Colome picked up his first save of the season. Bard has converted four of five save opportunities to this point and pitched in two of the Rockies’ last three games heading into this one.
• 4/18: Lou Trivino was placed on the COVID-19 injured list on Monday. Four of his teammates landed on the COVID-19 injured list alongside him as well. He may only be out for a short time, but while he is out, we could see Domingo Acevedo and Dany Jimenez earn some save opportunities.
• 4/16: Ryan Pressly is heading to the injured list with knee inflammation. Hector Neris will get the first chance to close for the Astros, but Ryne Stanek is expected to be around in the ninth inning as well until Pressly comes back.
• 4/15: Camilo Doval locked down his second save of the season for the Giants, and seems to have emerged as the favorite in San Francisco.
• 4/14: Mychal Givens grabbed the save today, rather than David Robertson, so this may be a situation to monitor and more of a committee in Chicago.
• 4/14: Aroldis Chapman gave up three straight walks in a save situation, and had to be bailed out by Michael King who got out of the jam and locked down the save. This is a bullpen situation to keep track of with Chapman pitching a bit volatile.
• 4/14: It wasn’t a save situation, but in a 5-1 victory the Mariners had Drew Steckenrider pitch the 7th, Diego Castillo pitch the 8th and Paul Sewald pitch the 9th. We are leaving this as a committee for now until there is more clarity.
• 4/14: After blowing his second save, Anthony Bender got another chance and locked down his second save of the season. He has been shaky, and gave up two hits in this one, so it’s a situation to monitor.
• 4/13: David Robertson picked up his second save of the season for the Cubs, while Mychal Givens tossed the eighth. Meanwhile, Rowan Wick hasn’t pitched since last week. Robertson is the leader of the committee at the very least, and may be the outright closer before long.
• 4/13: Hansel Robles earned his first save of the season. He struck out one while not allowing a baserunner across 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
• 4/13: Camilo Doval allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two across a scoreless inning to earn the save. Manager Gabe Kapler said that Jake McGee was the closer, but bullpen usage has proven that it’s probably Doval.
• 4/13: Tanner Rainey picked up his 2nd save of the season, while Kyle Finnegan pitched in the 6th inning.
• 4/13: Corey Knebel was activated from the COVID IL, and will resume closer duties.
• 4/12: Jorge Alcala has inflammation in his throwing elbow and is heading to the IL. Emilio Pagan figures to lead the committee in Minnesota’s ninth inning.
• 4/12: Phillies closer Corey Knebel was placed on the COVID IL, and the team will go with a committee approach in the meantime. Seranthony Dominguez, Brad Hand, and Jeurys Familia are all candidates for saves, with Dominguez likely the top option for now.
• 4/11: Jorge Lopez nailed down the first save opportunity for the Orioles, giving up a walk and striking out a batter. Dillon Tate was used earlier in the game, pitching in the 7th inning.
• 4/11: Daniel Bard was once again brought in for the save, but blew it by giving up a game-tying home run. The Rockies then took the lead, and Ashton Goudeau locked down the save, giving Bard the win.
• 4/10: Matt Barnes (back) was once again unavailable for Sunday’s game. Jake Diekman had a strong appearance, locking down the save.
• 4/10: Art Warren earned his first save of the year, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out one. Tony Santillan dealt with the heart of the Braves’ lineup in the eighth inning, facing the two-through-six hitters in the lineup. Things are probably going to be fluid with the Cincinnati bullpen at least for now.
• 4:10: Tanner Rainey earned the save, while Kyle Finnegan pitched the eighth inning. The Nationals were trailing 2-1 when Finnegan entered in the top of the eighth. If they had been ahead from earlier on, we may have seen the bullpen handled differently, so don’t be too quick to anoint Rainey as the new closer yet.
• 4/9: Daniel Bard notched his first save of the 2022 campaign on Saturday as his club defeated the Dodgers 3-2. The right-hander was dominant in his 17-pitch frame as he struck out Justin Turner, Edwin Rios, and Cody Bellinger all swinging as he looked in midseason form. Alex Colome pitched the 8th but let up a run and couldn’t finish the inning.
• 4/9: Tyler Duffey allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one over one inning in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander was charged with a blown save and tagged with the loss.
• 4/9: Andrew Kittredge allowed one run on two hits while striking out two to earn the save in Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
• 4/9: Diego Castillo struck out two over a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Mariners manager Scott Servais went to Drew Streckenrider for the save opportunity in the first game of the series but decided to roll with Castillo on Saturday.
• 4/9: Anthony Bender allowed one hit over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. After being charged with the blown save in Friday’s loss, he bounced back on Saturday by converting his first save of the season.
• 4/8: Drew Steckenrider notches his first save of the season on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Paul Sewald came in and pitched the eighth inning (batters 1, 2, 3 in the lineup) before handing the ball over to Steckenrider.
• 4/8: Camilo Doval blew the save on Friday against the Marlins. Jake McGee threw a scoreless eighth inning (batters 3, 4, 5 in the lineup) before handing the ball to Doval, who then allowed three hits and three earned runs to cough up the lead.
• 4/8: Matt Barnes (back) was unavailable for Friday’s game due to back stiffness. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the ninth inning of a tied game against the Yankees.
• 4/8: Brooks Raley got the one-out save on Friday. Andrew Kittredge pitched the eighth in this one. J.P. Feyereisen replaced Kittredge in the ninth, recorded two outs, but was pulled after allowing a runner to reach base. Raley then came on with two outs and closed the door.
• 4/7: Not a great debut for Padres reliever Robert Suarez. Manager Bob Melvin has already said that the newly acquired Taylor Rogers will be the closer in San Diego, but Suarez got the first crack at it on Opening Day and didn’t record an out. He faced three batters, walking the first two, throwing a wild pitch, and hitting the third. He allowed three runs, ended up with the loss, and now has a fun infinity ERA.
• 4/7: Tony Santillan locked down a save for the Reds, working a clean inning with two strikeouts. Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson pitched the 6th and 7th innings; Art Warren and Hunter Strickland did not pitch. This will be a situation to monitor.
• 4/7: David Robertson grabbed the first save of the year for the Cubs. Rowan Wick pitched earlier in the game but got into some trouble, and was relieved by Mychal Givens who had to bail him out.
• 4/7: Don Mattingly said that Anthony Bender would be the go-to guy for the 9th inning, at least while Dylan Floro is out on the IL.
• 4/7: Alex Cora said he won’t have a set closer to start the season, but he would like right-hander Matt Barnes to pitch himself back into the ninth-inning role. Until then, though, he could be sharing closing duties with Jake Diekman, Garrett Whitlock and Hansel Robles.
• 4/7: A fairly big trade just hours before the first official game of the season! The Padres and Twins agreed to a deal that will send Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker to San Diego for Emilio Pagan and Chris Paddack. Rogers is expected to close for the Padres, and Pagan should throw high leverage innings in Minnesota.
• 4/6: The Rangers sent Spencer Patton to Triple-A and officially added Greg Holland to the active roster. It’s still anyone’s guess who will close for Texas, but Matt Bush, Joe Barlow, and Holland all figure to pitch high-leverage innings.
• 4/6: Jordan Hicks has earned a defined role on the Cardinals, but it’s not the one anyone really expected: he’ll be the team’s fifth starter, leaving the bullpen and joining the rotation instead.
• 4/3: Robert Suarez is now being considered the favorite to start the year as the Padres closer.
• 4/3: Manuel Rodriguez was expected to compete for a high-leverage role in the Cubs bullpen, with some even projecting him as the closer. He’s been optioned to Triple-A though, and will start his season in the minors. He should be up with the big club and could have an important role in the Cubs bullpen before long, though.
• 4/3: Baseball GMs work on Sundays. The Marlins and the Orioles made a trade that will send Cole Sulser and Tanner Scott. Sulser should make his way into the ninth inning for Miami, but with Don Mattingly’s previous bullpen mismanagement, you never know.
• 4/1: Ken Giles is dealing with a tendon issue in his middle finger and will be shut down from throwing for a few weeks. That opens the door for Paul Sewald, Diego Castillo, and Drew Steckenrider to work the ninth inning for at least the first few weeks of the season.
• 4/1: It’s April Fools Day, but this is a real trade: the Dodgers acquired Craig Kimbrel from the White Sox in exchange for A.J. Pollock. Kimbrel likely slides directly into the Los Angeles ninth inning.
• 4/1: Dylan Floro will officially start the season on the injured list. He hasn’t appeared in any Grapefruit League games but has at least been throwing, so his absence may not be too long. Anthony Bender or Anthony Bass figure to get save chances in the meantime.
• 3/30: Rockies manager Bud Black said that he wants a closer that can get strikeouts. That bodes well for guys like Daniel Bard and Robert Stephenson.
• 3/30: Lucas Sims was expected to enter the season as the Reds closer, but a back injury has him a few weeks behind. Hunter Strickland and Luis Cessa are the current leaders in the conversation for Cincinnati’s ninth-inning job.
• 3/30: Emilio Pagan and Robert Suarez are the current frontrunners for the Padres closer job. There are several high-ceiling pitchers in the Padres bullpen, but none with significant closing experience.
• 3/30: Without a „true closer” on the roster, Cubs manager David Ross has said he is considering a „mixture of pitchers” in the closer’s role, more commonly known as a committee. Manuel Rodriguez, David Robertson, Mychal Givens, and Chris Martin should all see high-leverage work.
• 3/30: Rangers manager Chris Woodward said that he would rather not have Joe Barlow start the season as his closer. Instead, it could be Spencer Patton or a veteran like Matt Bush or Greg Holland in the ninth inning.
• 3/29: Gabe Kapler, maybe the last manager anyone expected to name a specific closer, has named Jake McGee as his closer. He did imply that things could change, but it looks like the Giants will turn to the 35-year-old lefty for saves at least at the start of the season.
• 3/29: James Karinchak has a shoulder issue and will be shut down from throwing for at least 10 days. Emmanuel Clase’s hold of the ninth inning in Cleveland gets even stronger.
• 3/29: Peter Fairbanks will be „out a while” with a recommendation that he should not throw for six weeks. He’s not expected back until mid-season, putting yet another question mark into the Rays bullpen.
• 3/28: Lucas Sims will open the season on the injured list.
• 3/26: Dylan Floro is behind schedule due to arm soreness. Anthony Bender may start the year as the Marlins closer.
• 3/20: Reds expected closer Lucas Sims likely won’t be ready for Opening Day, according to manager David Bell. He’s reportedly not injured, but the shortened camp has given him less time to prepare.
• 3/18: The Braves played the role of mystery team and signed Kenley Jansen to a one-year deal. He’ll presumably slide right into the ninth inning, pushing Will Smith and Collin McHugh to setup duty. The Braves pen should be one of the best in baseball this season.
• 3/18: While we all assumed Blake Treinen would be the closer for the Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts said that he’d be going more with a committee approach, at least given how the roster stands today. Treinen is likely still the favorite for saves, but it won’t be as consistent a role as expected.
• 3/17: The Cubs continued adding to their bullpen, signing Mychal Givens, who could wind up right in the closer’s role.
• 3/17: The Angels have added two arms to their bullpen, agreeing to terms with both Archie Bradley and Ryan Tepera. They should work together to get the game to Raisel Iglesias in the ninth.
• 3/17: Greg Holland joined the Rangers, and while the veteran isn’t the same guy he was in his original Royals days, he should still have a late-inning role in Texas.
• 3/17: The Cubs signed David Robertson, who has barely pitched since 2018, but showed plenty of late-inning upside his last time spending significant time on the mound. He could work his way into a significant role, especially with Codi Heuer and Brad Wieck both out for a while.
• 3/16: The Reds and Royals swapped Amir Garrett for Mike Minor. Garrett presumably will enter a setup role for his new team while Art Warren moves up a bit in the Reds hierarchy.
• 3/16: The Braves added Collin McHugh to what was already a strong bullpen. He should work in a key setup role.
• 3/16: The Cardinals are officially going with a committee in their bullpen this year, with new manager Oliver Marmol saying they won’t have a set closer. Giovanny Gallegos is still the best bet for saves in St. Louis, but they won’t have a top tier fantasy option if they stick with this approach.
• 3/15: The Orioles are going to try to turn Tyler Wells into a „piggy back” starter or at least a long reliever. That removes him from closer consideration for now, giving the volatile spot back to Cole Sulser.
• 3/15: Sean Doolittle has returned to the Nationals and could wind up in the mix for saves if he can return to form.
• 3/15: Ian Kennedy has joined the Diamondbacks and will likely slide into a setup role ahead of closer Mark Melancon.
• 3/15: Jake Diekman signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox and will work in a high leverage setup role with a chance to earn some saves as well.
• 3/14: Brad Hand has signed with the Phillies and should slot in ahead of closer Corey Knebel in the new look Phillies bullpen.
• 3/13: Adam Ottavino Chooses The Mets
• 3:13: Corey Knebel Named Phillies Closer
• 3/13: Alex Colome Agrees With Rockies
• 3/12: Craig Kimbrel Expected To Remain With White Sox
• 12/3: All depth charts have been updated with roster moves posted before the lockout hit.

2021 Season

• 9/23: Andrew Kittredge made his way to the injured list, leaving the Rays without the closest thing they’ve had to a head of the committee. Collin McHugh, Pete Fairbanks, and Nick Anderson figure to see save chances for the rest of the regular season.
• 9/23: Gregory Soto is done for the year with a broken finger. Michael Fulmer should see any save situations the Tigers end up with for the rest of the season.
• 9/17: Jake McGee has hit the IL. Tyler Rogers was given the first opportunity last night but blew the save. This is a situation to monitor.
• 9/16: Tyler Clippard is back in the Diamondbacks bullpen, but it seems like J.B. Wendelken will keep working as the head of the committee in the desert.
• 9/16: David Bednar is likely done for the year with an oblique injury, leaving Chris Stratton alone in the ninth inning for the Pirates.
• 9/16: Yankees relievers had a chance to take over for a struggling Aroldis Chapman, but then all of them either also struggled or got injured. Looks like the Yankees will stick with their lefty.
• 9/14: Looks like Drew Steckenrider has taken over in Seattle’s bullpen. He has four of the last six saves for the Mariners and is at least atop the committee.
• 9/14: Dylan Floro has clearly been the go-to guy for the Marlins in the ninth inning, he’s the full-time closer, no longer a member of a committee.
• 9/14: Nick Anderson is back in the Rays bullpen and could work his way into save chances before long.
• 9/7: Tyler Clippard landed on the IL and Taylor Clarke got optioned back down to Triple-A. The Diamondbacks might not have too many save chances the rest of the way, but Noe Ramirez figures to be the guy on the mound when they do.
• 8/31: Just about a month ago, the Blue Jays traded for Brad Hand and there were questions about who would even close in Toronto with two guys who had had ninth inning success. Today, Hand was designated for assignment. This is Jordan Romano’s bullpen now.
• 8/30: James Karinchak, who has been awful since the All-Star Break, was optioned to Triple-A. Emmanuel Clase was already pretty much the full-time closer, now he’s definitely the full-time closer in Cleveland.
• 8/30: Lou Trivino will be taking a break from closing for the A’s. Sergio Romo got the first save in the post-Trivino era, but Jake Diekman and Andrew Chafin will likely see some ninth innings as well. A’s manager Bob Melvin did say he wanted Trivino to work his way back into the role, though.
• 8/30: All of the predictive metrics finally caught up to Cardinals closer Alex Reyes, who just couldn’t keep getting away with it. After an awful month of August, the Cardinals have decided to „reevaluate” their closer role. Reyes could still get some chances, but he’ll at best be in a committee with Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera.
• 8/28: Daniel Bard has been removed from the closer’s role and replaced by Carlos Estevez.
• 8/26: Matt Barnes has had a rough second half for the Red Sox, and after his latest rough appearance, he’s out as closer. Manager Alex Cora said he’d go with a committee for now, which will include Hansel Robles, Garrett Richards, and Garrett Whitlock. Cora didn’t mention Adam Ottavino, but the eighth inning man figures to mix in as well.
• 8/24: The Yankees placed Zack Britton on the injured list, leaving Chad Green and Jonathan Loaisiga to setup for Aroldis Chapman.
• 8/24: Jake Brentz was working his way up the Royals hierarchy, but he’s on the IL now too, which means Josh Staumont will be next in line after Scott Barlow.
• 8/23: All depth charts have been updated! Not too much ninth inning movement, but some setup guys have swapped roles. Stay on top of it all as playoffs start in some leagues this week!
• 8/23: Michael Lorenzen has picked up a few saves for the Reds, but they’ve mostly been on days where Mychal Givens was unavailable or had pitched in a more critical situation. Givens is still the guy in Cincinnati, but Lorenzen is clearly up next.
• 8/23: The Pirates hadn’t had a single save chance since they traded Richard Rodriguez at the trade deadline until this week. That chance and the save went to David Bednar, with Chris Stratton setting him up in the eighth. The two switched innings the next day with a four-run lead, so it could still be a committee, but Bednar seems slightly in the lead.
• 8/21: Diego Castillo was placed on the IL, and Paul Sewald has emerged as the favorite here regardless.
• 8/16: Matt Wisler landed on the IL with a finger injury, leaving Andrew Kittredge as maybe the most likely Rays reliever to pick up saves. But trying to predict a Rays closer is always a bad idea.
• 8/16: Mychal Givens has now earned three saves since joining the Reds and looks like he’s officially taken over as the closer in Cincinnati. There may still be some moving parts, but Givens seems like the best bet in the Reds pen.
• 8/12: Josh Hader is back from the injured list and will keep building on his 22 saves. Devin Williams will go back to his setup role.
• 8/10: All bullpen depth charts have been updated based on recent usage!
• 8/10: The White Sox already had an excellent closer, but that didn’t stop them from acquiring Craig Kimbrel at the trade deadline. The White Sox said that he and Liam Hendriks would split save chances, but Kimbrel has been working a lot more eighth innings than anything else.
• 8/10: Mychal Givens had been locked into the eighth inning with the Reds, but he’s now earned two saves in four days and may be working as the leader of the committee at this point. He’s worth an add for fantasy managers looking for saves on the waiver wire.
• 8/7: Aroldis Chapman (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation Saturday. Expect the team to go with some combination of Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Zack Britton during Chapman’s absence, with Green and Loaisiga the most appealing options for fantasy.
• 8/4: Heath Hembree has been struggling lately, so the Reds turned to Michael Lorenzen for a save opportunity, and he converted. Lorenzen has been excellent lately and may be atop the Cincinnati committee already.
• 8/2: Josh Hader found his way to the COVID IL so the Brewers will likely go with Devin Williams for their next few save situations. Brad Boxberger could mix in as well, and maybe even John Axford, just for the story.
• 8/2: The Nationals sent Tanner Rainey down to Triple-A to try to get him back on track. Kyle Finnegan and Wander Suero should continue as closers for whenever the Nationals actually have a lead to protect.
• 8/2: Jeffrey Springs landed on the injured list with a knee injury and Matt Wisler earned a save for the Rays. Wisler, Andrew Kitteredge, and Drew Rasmussen should keep splitting save chances for now.
• 8/1: Ranger Suarez is going back into the starting rotation, leaving him completely off the bullpen depth chart. Ian Kennedy will close for the Phillies.
• 7/30: While a few bullpens are still uncertain and we may need to wait a few games to see how pitchers are used, all depth charts have been updated at least to what we know right now.
• 7/30: In a last-minute deadline deal, the Braves acquired Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez. It will be interesting to see how their bullpen shapes up, with Will Smith and Rodriguez possibly sharing ninth inning duties. In Pittsburgh, David Bednar becomes the favorite for saves going forward.
• 7/30: The Twins sent Hansel Robles to Boston, where he should work some late innings, but won’t see any save chances. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Alex Colome and Tyler Duffey will probably close until Taylor Rogers is ready to pitch again.
• 7/30: The Diamondbacks found someone to trade Joakim Soria to, sending him to Toronto. He won’t be a factor in save opportunities there, but Tyler Clippard will presumably take over in Arizona.
• 7/30: Another closer on the move, as the Phillies have acquired Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers. Kennedy figures to slot in as the closer in Philly, although Ranger Suarez has been good and could still work some save situations. In Texas, Spencer Patton should take over ninth innings there.
• 7/30: We all expected Craig Kimbrel to be traded, but to the White Sox? That was surprising. The White Sox plan to have Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks share save chances, while the Cubs will likely turn to Rowan Wick once he’s fully healthy.
• 7/29: The Padres bullpen was already good, but they’re adding Daniel Hudson to make it even stronger. Hudson is currently on the COVID IL, but when he’s ready to return he should pitch 7th and 8th innings ahead of closer Mark Melancon.
• 7/29: The Rays are finalizing a deal to trade Diego Castillo to the Mariners. With Peter Fairbanks, J.P. Feyereisen and Ryan Thompson on the IL, a committee would be expected with Andrew Kittredge and Jeffrey Springs in the mix.
• 7/29: The Blue Jays have traded for Brad Hand, and he should at least mix in for save chances alongside Jordan Romano. Meanwhile, the Nationals already had to place Daniel Hudson and Austin Voth on the COVID IL, so presumably Kyle Finnegan will be the next Nationals pitcher to get a save opportunity.
• 7/29: The Joey Gallo trade is definitely the Joey Gallo trade, but Joely Rodriguez is also moving from Texas to the Yankees. He was expected to be the closer once Ian Kennedy is traded, but that will likely be Spencer Patton now. Kennedy is still around for now, but he’s almost a sure thing to move before the deadline. Rodriguez will work in middle relief for the Yankees at first.
• 7/28: The Marlins and Astros made a trade on Wednesday, with Yimi Garcia heading to Houston. Garcia likely won’t even be in the Houston hierarchy, as Ryan Pressly, Kendall Graveman, and Ryne Stanek are all significantly better pitchers. Barring a series of injuries, Garcia’s fantasy value has evaporated. Meanwhile, in Miami, Anthony Bender, Anthony Bass, and Dylan Floro figure to split save chances for now.
• 7/27: The first big closer trade happened a few days before the deadline, and it was quite an unexpected one: the Mariners traded Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero to the Astros. Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider are the new favorites for saves in Seattle, and Graveman should settle in ahead of Ryan Pressly in Houston.
• 7/27: Taylor Rogers is on the injured list, so Hansel Robles will close things out for the Twins for the rest of the week until he gets traded. After that? Could be Alex Colome, unless another team wants him, too.
• 7/27: Andrew Chafin is going from the Cubs to the A’s and should still be a solid reliever in holds leagues.
• 7/27: While the Orioles bullpen is in full committee mode and this could change from one day to the next, right now it looks like Dillon Tate is the right-now favorite for saves.
• 7/25: Wade Davis picked up the one-out save yesterday, after Greg Holland started the 9th inning and gave up two runs. Josh Staumont pitched in the 8th, so this is a messy bullpen to keep an eye on, especially after the trade deadline.
• 7/24: The Tyler Wells experiment in Baltimore ended almost as quickly as it began. Wells was placed on the injured list with a wrist issue, so the Orioles will go back to some mix of Paul Fry, Cole Sulser, and Tanner Scott. That could change once again once the Orioles start making trades. It’s probably best to avoid this bullpen in most fantasy leagues for now.
• 7/23: With Kenley Jansen getting blown up in back-to-back games and blowing saves, it will be interesting to see if Blake Treinen gets the call for the next opportunity. This is a situation to monitor.
• 7/22: J.P. Feyereisen has landed on the injured list, shuffling things up a little bit in the Rays bullpen. Jeffrey Springs figures to step up into Feyereisen’s setup role.
• 7/20: The Pirates gave up on Kyle Crick, designating him for assignment. With closer Richard Rodriguez a potential trade candidate, David Bednar has moved into the almost unquestioned closer-in-waiting role.
• 7/20: The Orioles bullpen has been unpredictable all year, and now comes Tyler Wells into two ninth innings that may not have been save situations, but were key innings. The team’s announcers have already anointed him the closer, and while that’s not official, it’s close.
• 7/18: Gregory Soto has moved to the top of the Tigers bullpen committee, as he has earned a couple of saves while Jose Cisnero has been brought into earlier innings. It’s almost surely still a committee, but it looks like the Tigers are going with their All-Star Soto as the leader.
• 7/18: The Orioles committee also looks like things are moving around in it, with Tanner Scott possibly taking the lead role. Paul Fry has struggled lately and hasn’t earned a save since the beginning of June while Cole Sulser has given up a run or more for three straight outings. This is certainly a committee as well, but with both Sulser and Fry potentially being trade targets for other teams before the deadline, a solid performance from Scott now could leave him as the guy in August and September.
• 7/18: Look like Jake Cousins will be the guy to benefit from Devin Williams being out. Cousins worked the seventh inning on Sunday and should continue to split setup duties with Brad Boxberger in Milwaukee.
• 7/17: Devin Williams is on the injured list, leaving Brad Boxberger to be the primary setup man for the Brewers in front of closer Josh Hader.
• 7/17: It’s been mostly bad news for the Yankees bullpen lately, but Zack Britton is back, and that’s at least one good thing.
• 7/13: Happy All Star Game to those who celebrate! Depth charts are freshly updated as of the break, but of course we all know to expect plenty of changes as we approach the July 31 trade deadline.
• 7/8: With Aroldis Chapman struggling recently, Chad Green grabbed the save instead of Chapman who was available to pitch if needed. This is a situation to monitor closely.
• 7/7: Heath Hembree locked down another save, and seems like the flavor of the moment in the Reds bullpen, at least until Lucas Sims and Tejay Antone are back.
• 7/7: Right when we were all getting excited about Anthony Bender in Miami, manager Don Mattingly went right back to Yimi Garcia the next chance he had. It wasn’t a save situation, but it was the ninth inning of a tie game at home. Garcia allowed two hits and a walk but somehow escaped with a scoreless inning. He continues to pitch poorly in key situations.
• 7/7: Trevor Rosenthal is going to undergo hip surgery and won’t be able to pitch this season. Not too many fantasy managers were relying on Rosenthal, but anyone who had him in an IL spot can now make room for someone else.
• 7/6: With Yimi Garcia unavailable after a poor outing, Anthony Bender nailed down a save. It will be interesting to see what happens with the next opportunities.
• 7/5: Ranger Suarez picked up a save instead of Jose Alvarado and Archie Bradley. This is something to keep an eye on to see if he gets more chances.
• 7/3: Heath Hembree nailed down his second consecutive save, over the past two days, and looks to be temporarily emerging as the favorite for saves candidates for the Reds.
• 7/1: With Michael Fulmer (neck) back on the IL, Jose Cisnero should see the majority of the save chances for Detroit going forward.
• 7/1: Paul Fry is still the leader of the Orioles bullpen committee, but it’s looking like Cole Sulser is starting to sneak in. More good innings from Sulser combined with struggles from Fry, and we could see a change in the Baltimore bullpen.
• 7/1: Kendall Graveman has taken over in Seattle and might not even be the committee leader anymore, he may just be the guy. Rafael Montero has struggled while Graveman has not, making things easy for the Mariners to decide.
• 7/1: Jordan Romano hasn’t allowed a run in 15 straight outings. He’s the unquestioned closer for Toronto and needs to be rostered in all formats.
• 6/29: MVP vote-getter Ryan Tepera landed on the injured list with a calf strain. He was lighting up holds leagues, but Dan Winkler will likely pair with Andrew Chafin to send the game to Craig Kimbrel’s ninth inning now.
• 6/27: Jose Alvarado pitched in the 8th inning of today’s game, giving up two hits and one run. Archie Bradley pitched the 9th and got the save, also giving up a run in the process. It’s a situation to monitor for those chasing saves.
• 6/27:  Michael Fulmer (neck) has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right cervical spine strain. Gregory Soto and Jose Cisnero will likely both see save chances moving forward.
• 6/27: Amir Garrett earned a save for the Reds on Saturday, but Brad Brach pitched the eighth, which had the heart of the order coming up. That’s enough of a sign that Brach is getting a little more trust than Garrett, at least for now. It’s still likely to be an all out committee, but Brach is on top for now.
• 6/27: Jose Alvarado and Archie Bradley had thrown a lot of pitches and were unavailable on Saturday, leading to Phillies ex-closer (or so they say) Hector Neris to get his second save chance since being taken out of the closer’s role. In traditional Neris fashion, he blew the save, walking in the tying run. Alvarado is still the head of this committee, but it’s a rough bullpen in Philly again this season.
• 6/26: Tejay Antone (forearm) was placed back on the injured list on Saturday after returning earlier in the week. He made two appearances since being activated from the IL on Tuesday but appears to still be dealing with inflammation in his pitching arm.
• 6/25: After the Phillies moved from Hector Neris to Jose Alvarado for their closer’s role, the thought was that Sam Coonrod would move up into the eighth inning role. Coonrod landed on the IL on Friday, however, so the new Phillies closer will likely be set up by Archie Bradley and Ranger Suarez instead.
• 6/25: Jose Alvarado will get the first crack at save opportunities for now, Phillies manager Joe Girardi said on Friday. The decision to move Alvarado into a closing role comes on the heels of Hector Neris blowing his third straight save in a 13-12 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday.
• 6/24: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Lucas Sims was placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right elbow. There’s no timetable for Sims and the Reds will likely turn to either Amir Garrett or Tejay Antone to close, although Brad Brach may be in the mix as well.
• 6/23: Philadelphia Phillies closer Hector Neris blew his fifth save of the season, allowing two earned runs on three hits in his inning of work. Following the game, when asked about a potential change to the closer role, manager Joe Girardi said, „I’ll take an off day and think about it.” He’s now blown three saves this month alone and could be demoted from the role after his performance on Wednesday.
• 6/23: The Diamondbacks have moved on from Stefan Crichton, designating him for assignment. He was leading the team in saves (with just four) but a 6.04 ERA and 15:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio was enough for Arizona to move on. Veteran Joakim Soria will likely get as many save chances as possible until the trade deadline to boost his value.
• 6/22: Amir Garrett grabbed the save last night, after Tejay Antone and Lucas Sims pitched earlier in the game. Sims blew the lead in the eighth inning, allowing Garrett to enter with a lead in the ninth. This is like just a one-off situation, with Sims likely seeing the bulk of saves chances going forward, but is something to keep an eye on with Garrett.
• 6/22: Tejay Antone is back from the IL and should start pitching high leverage innings in the Reds bullpen again. He still is unlikely to take over the closer’s role though, as he’s better suited in a more versatile position that allows him to pitch multiple innings when necessary.
• 6/22: The Cleveland bullpen continues to be a two-headed monster made up of Emmanuel Clase and James Karinchak. Clase seems to have the slightest advantage in usage, but both are certainly worth rostering in most formats.
• 6/22: Tyler Chatwood picked up his first save of the season for the Blue Jays over the weekend. Jordan Romano was unavailable for the ninth, but it still shows how unsettled the Toronto bullpen still is.
• 6/21: Greg Holland has now closed out each of the team’s last two wins, the team’s only two wins since June 10. Things have been very fluid in the Royals’ bullpen this year, but Holland looks to be the clear closer at least for now.
• 6/21: Michael Fulmer has now earned the last two saves for the team and appears to be the team’s primary closer once again. The team’s other two primary saves candidates, Gregory Soto and Jose Cisnero, pitched earlier on in Sunday’s game with Soto manning the seventh inning and Cisnero taking the eighth and ninth.
• 6/20: The Twins bullpen looks like its figuring things out, as Taylor Rogers has earned a save in the last three non-extra inning save opportunities. Hansel Robles will settle into a setup role.
• 6/16: Ian Kennedy will be activated from the injured list today and should immediately jump back into the closer’s role. No Rangers pitcher earned a save in the time Kennedy was gone.
• 6/16: Amir Garrett has been pitching better of late, and grabbed a one-out save last night in an extra inning game after Lucas Sims (who earned the win) and Heath Hembree had already pitched.
• 6/16: Michael Fulmer is back from the IL, and Gregory Soto pitched a clean inning to get the save last night. This looks to be a committee involving Soto, Cisnero and likely Fulmer as well once he’s back up to full speed.
• 6/15: Peter Fairbanks has picked up two saves this week, and looks to be part of the Rays committee where he will be used in high-leverage situations and grab occasional saves along with Diego Castillo and J.P. Feyereisen.
• 6/14: Daniel Hudson headed to the injured list for the Nationals, so Kyle Finnegan, Tanner Rainey, and Wander Suero should see some more high leverage work ahead of Brad Hand’s ninth inning.
• 6/14: Zack Britton is back in the Yankees bullpen and already pitched a scoreless inning. He’ll slide right into a key setup role, and with closer Aroldis Chapman scuffling, might even see a save chance before long.
• 6/11: Kendall Graveman has been activated from the IL, and Keynan Middleton was optioned.
• 6/11: Tejay Antone landed on the injured list on Friday morning. Lucas Sims should get an even larger share of the ninth inning with the best Reds reliever on the shelf.
• 6/9: Ian Kennedy ended up on the injured list in Texas, he’s dealing with a mild hamstring strain. Joely Rodriguez and John King figure to split save duties, but Josh Sborz may be in the mix as well. The hope is that Kennedy won’t stay on the IL for long.
• 6/9: Just when the Rays looked to be settling on J.P. Feyereisen as the leader of their committee, Diego Castillo has come in and saved the last two games for Tampa Bay. There may never be a solid hierarchy on a Kevin Cash team!
• 6/9: Lou Trivino looks like he’s worked his way back into the lead for Oakland’s ninth inning committee. For a bit, it seemed like Jake Diekman was running away with it, but Trivino is right back in there after a short slump.
• 6/9: Michael Fulmer worked his way to the top of the Tigers committee, but he’s on the IL with a shoulder strain now. Jose Cisnero has earned two saves in a row, but still figures to split time with Gregory Soto at the back of Detroit’s bullpen.
• 6/8: Josh Staumont is back from the injured list and was back on the mound in a rather high-leverage situation right away. Nothing’s official yet, but it’s a safe guess that he’ll at least be back as the head of the ninth inning committee soon.
• 6/8: Michael Fulmer worked his way into the closer conversation in Detroit, but an IL stint changes that pretty immediately. It’s back to an uninspiring committee of Gregory Soto and Jose Cisnero for the Tigers.
• 6/4: We thought Mike Matheny would make it easy, but then we forgot it’s the 2021 baseball season and nothing is easy. Greg Holland looked like he’d be the guy with Josh Staumont on the IL, but Scott Barlow earned a two-inning save on Thursday and now no one knows what to expect. Will Matheny actually have a bullpen without a specified closer?
• 6/4: This has happened before, so tread carefully, but it looks like the Reds bullpen might be settling down. Tejay Antone is clearly the high-leverage arm, but that won’t always mean the ninth inning. Lucas Sims has been pitching well lately and getting ninth innings, and could be working his way to a comfortable seat at the head of the Cincinnati committee.
• 6/1: While we’re still thoroughly unclear about what the Orioles will be doing for their ninth innings, we know one thing: Cesar Valdez has been demoted. He pitched the eighth inning on Tuesday before Cole Sulser came in and got the save, snapping a 14-game losing streak for the Orioles. After the game, manager Brandon Hyde said he went with Sulser because Paul Fry was unavailable. This could end up being a committee situation, or Sulser could run with the job if he keeps pitching well. He’s worth picking up in deeper mixed leagues just in case he takes the reins.
• 5/31: It was Greg Holland with the first save for the Royals since Josh Staumont landed on the IL. Holland got the save after Scott Barlow and Kyle Zimmer each earned holds to get the game to the ninth. This could be a committee with those three involved, or manager Mike Matheny may hand the ninth inning to the veteran Holland. We’ll keep an eye on this bullpen this week.
• 5/31: Keynan Middleton earned his fifth save of the season for the Mariners, just a day after Rafael Montero earned his seventh. Erik Swanson had earned his first the day before that. The Mariners are in full committee mode with no clear favorite at least until Kendall Graveman (COVID IL) is able to get back on the mound.
• 5/31: J.P. Feyereisen got the save again today for the Rays. He now has three saves and a win over the last nine games, and should be added in any leagues that value saves where he’s still a free agent. At the very least, he is an important part of a closer committee for one of the best teams in baseball.
• 5/28: The Royals placed Josh Staumont on the injured list with a left knee strain, which explains why he hadn’t been pitching. It remains to be seen if Kyle Zimmer or Scott Barlow in the ninth. Likely a combination of both unless one stands out.
• 5/27: Ryan Pressly is apparently unable to turn his head thanks to a stiff neck, so Bryan Abreu earned a save for the Astros on Wednesday. No roster move has been made so it would seem that the team expects Pressly to be good to go soon. Ryne Stanek would likely get the next save chance if Pressly can’t go.
• 5/27: J.P. Feyereisen and Peter Fairbanks have seen the last few save chances for the Rays. This is very much a committee, and right now it doesn’t even look like there’s a leader.
• 5/27: Cesar Valdez has been struggling a bit lately, and the Orioles sound like they could be turning to a committee approach. Paul Fry could see some save chances, and Tanner Scott could mix in as well. Valdez should still be a part of the plan too.
• 5/26: Rafael Montero recorded his sixth save of the season Tuesday, allowing two baserunners in one inning of work. This bullpen is looking like one to avoid unless you are truly desperate for saves.
• 5/25:Keynan Middleton completed a one-two-three ninth inning Monday night to earn his third save of the season. With Kendall Graveman on the COVID list, Middleton appears to be the next man up for save opportunities.
• 5/24: Just what the Rays needed: another reliever who misses bats and can mix into the ninth inning. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired earlier in the week from the Brewers, picked up a save for the Rays this weekend and should be part of the committee going forward.
• 5/24: Kendall Graveman landed on the COVID IL, leaving Rafael Montero as the full-time closer in Seattle for at least a couple of days. It’ll be back to a Graveman-led committee as soon as he’s ready to return, though.
• 5/24: The Blue Jays committee  is getting more confusing, as Tyler Chatwood has now entered the closing mix. It didn’t go well, but the fact that he was given the chance makes him another member of the ninth inning committee, joining Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano.
• 5/19: Rafael Dolis is off the injured list and back in the Blue Jays bullpen. He pitched in an 8-0 game and did well, with his manager later saying he’d use Dolis pretty much in any inning. He’s back in the closer committee, but for now, Jordan Romano is still the guy to roster in fantasy formats.
• 5/18: Looks like Tyler Rogers might be atop the committee in San Francisco’s bullpen now. Jake McGee has mostly struggled this season, but should still remain a committee member. Rogers, however, looks like he’ll be the preferred option.
• 5/18: Maybe the Tigers bullpen situation has finally figured itself out? Michael Fulmer has three saves, all in the last 11 days, and had Gregory Soto pitch ahead of him on Monday. It’s still a committee in Detroit, but Fulmer seems in the lead and could take the job for himself if he continues pitching well.
• 5/17: Hansel Robles earned a save on Sunday and has been pitching really well, while Taylor Rogers has been struggling to get outs. It’s a full on committee in Minnesota, but it looks like Robles could be at the head of it, at least for now.
• 5/17: The mess continues in Cincinnati’s bullpen, but it looks like Tejay Antone has finally worked his way into the closer committee. In fact, he may be at the top of it right now, with Sean Doolittle and Lucas Sims behind him. It remains to be seen how things will go for the Reds bullpen, but Antone seems like the one to roster right now.
• 5/15: The Rays activated Diego Castillo from the injured list and he should immediately be back at the head of the committee.
• 5/13: All bullpens have been reviewed and depth charts are fully up to date!
• 5/13: Brad Hand has blown two saves (and taken two losses) in his past three appearances. Several metrics show that Hand could continue to struggle, meaning Daniel Hudson could become the Nationals closer sooner than later.
• 5/13: Jake Diekman and Lou Trivino still seem to be the two-headed monster in the Oakland bullpen, but Diekman may be taking Trivino’s place as the head of the committee. He has two saves in the past two days.
• 5/8: Summer and baseball. Injuries and the Blue Jays bullpen. Rafael Dolis is the latest Toronto reliever to hit the injured list. He’s dealing with a calf injury. Jordan Romano figures to take over again, with Tyler Chatwood possibly mixing in.
• 5/5: The closest thing the Tampa Bay Rays have had to a solidified closer in a long time has been Diego Castillo this season. Just as that was becoming a thing, he’ll head to the IL with a groin injury, reverting the Rays to the committee we’re all used to. Peter Fairbanks, who just returned from the IL himself, figures to mix in with Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson for saves in Tampa Bay.
• 5/5: The Diamondbacks activated veteran Joakim Soria from the injured list. Soria only got in 2/3 of an inning this season before landing on the IL, so his role isn’t clear. With the way the Arizona bullpen has looked though, Soria could easily work his way into meaningful innings and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in the closer’s role soon.
• 5/5: Tanner Rainey has been having a hard time this season. A grand slam allowed to an opposing pitcher on Tuesday blew his season ERA up to 10.00. Will Harris has been pitching well and should start seeing some of Rainey’s high-leverage innings until Rainey can figure things out.
• 5/4: He wasn’t closing, but Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks now won’t be pitching at all for at least four weeks. He’s on the IL with inflammation in his throwing elbow. Ryan Helsley should move into a setup role in his place.
• 5/2: Every run Edwin Diaz has given up this season has been in a non-save situation. While „getting work” can be important for a closer, maybe this is one who just doesn’t need it? More important than the three runs he allowed on Sunday though, Diaz left the game with back tightness. If he misses any time, Jeurys Familia and Trevor May will likely share save chances.
• 5/2: Rough day for Daniel Bard, who allowed four runs while only getting one out. His ERA ballooned to an even 9.00, and another bad outing could lead to some movement in the Colorado bullpen.
• 5/2: Rafael Montero picked up the save while Graveman pitched the 8th inning. Looks like it could be a real committee in Seattle, but Graveman still looks like the slightly safer bet for now.
• 4/30: Chris Devenski has rejoined the Diamondbacks bullpen, and while he showed up in the fifth inning on Thursday, it shouldn’t take him too long to work his way back into late-inning, high-leverage roles.
• 4/30: It’s looking more and more like Kendall Graveman is going to be the guy in the Seattle bullpen, or at the very least the head of the committee. Rafael Montero should step down into a key setup role.
• 4/28: While the Tigers bullpen still seems like one best left alone for now, it’s worth noting that Gregory Soto has the last two saves recorded by a Tigers pitcher while Bryan Garcia hasn’t pitched in a ninth inning in two weeks. It’s still an uninspiring committee, but Soto seems to be at the top.
• 4/28: Sean Doolittle was back where we’re used to seeing him on Wednesday: saving a ballgame. With Amir Garrett struggling and Lucas Sims resting after throwing a ton of pitches the day before, Doolittle saved the game for the Reds, earning his first save since the 2019 World Series. He has the experience to take over the ninth, but it’s definitely still a committee right now.
• 4/26: Jose Alvarado is back from the COVID-19 injured list and should slide right back into a key setup role.
• 4/26: With Greg Holland back, Josh Staumont still got the save chance (and the save) on Monday. Holland pitched the eighth inning ahead of him. For now, we’ll call it a committee, but keep an eye on Staumont, who is now 2-for-2 in saves and could be taking the job for himself.
• 4/25: The Dodgers bullpen took a bit of a hit this weekend, as Corey Knebel was placed on the injured list and manager Dave Roberts said he could stay there for „months.” Knebel was working with Blake Treinen as the key setup guys ahead of closer Kenley Jansen. Treinen figures to pick up a few more innings, with guys like Victor Gonzalez and David Price picking up more holds opportunities.
• 4/25: Greg Holland landed on the injured list without a reason given but was reinstated about a day later. In the game he missed, Josh Staumont ended up with the save. With Holland back though, he’s likely to regain his spot as the head of the committee in Kansas City. Staumont is clearly the second in line though.
• 4/25: Jordan Romano came off the IL and immediately pitched in a high-leverage situation. He’ll quickly ramp his way back into the ninth inning. For now, we’ll keep calling it a committee, but it isn’t hard to see Romano taking over and keeping the inning to himself.
• 4/22: The Cincinnati bullpen was supposed to be led by Amir Garrett this season, but he’s allowed nine runs in just five innings and he’s walking seemingly every batter he faces. Sean Doolittle has plenty of closing experience, but Lucas Sims seems to be the next guy up for the Reds. It’s a volatile situation for now, especially with manager David Bell giving Garret and his 16.20 ERA a vote of confidence.
• 4/20: Every bullpen in the league has been carefully checked and our depth charts are fully updated! Check them out below.
• 4/20: Joely Rodriguez is back from the injured list and already pitching significant innings for the Rangers. It’s still Ian Kennedy’s job, but Rodriguez should have holds league value and seems to be the next one in line if Kennedy gets hurt or traded.
• 4/20: The Phillies bullpen will be without Jose Alvarado for a few days as he was in close contact to a positive COVID case. He’s only expected to miss a day or two, but that could temporarily give Brandon Kintzler or Connor Brogdon some higher leverage innings.
• 4/18: The San Francisco Giants placed closer Jake McGee on the injured list due to symptoms from the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on other players who have been placed on the IL for the same reason, we can assume that McGee will be back on the mound within one or two days. For Sunday’s game, however, manager Gabe Kapler went with Tyler Rogers, who earned a save with a perfect ninth inning.
• 4/15: More injuries in the Blue Jays bullpen, as Jordan Romano will head to the injured list due to right ulnar neuritis. Rafael Dolis should see most save chances, but Tim Mayza and Trent Thornton could see some ninth inning work as well.
• 4/15: The Mariners bullpen may be shifting things around, as Kendall Graveman received a save opportunity in Game 1 of Thursday’s double header. Rafael Montero has been good (3.68 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) but has blown three saves already. It’s unclear if this was perhaps a one-time switch, or if Graveman may now be in control of the end of games in Seattle. We’ll keep an eye on what happens with their next save chance.
• 4/14: The Oakland bullpen is making its way toward being a committee, as Lou Trivino picked up his first save of the season on Tuesday (and actually his first since 2018). Trivino was also warming up to come in for the save on Monday before the A’s scored more runs and ended up without a save situation in the ninth inning. Jake Diekman still figures to mix in for some ninth innings, but Trivino might get the larger slice of the Oakland ninth inning pie.
• 4/14: Julian Merryweather threw only two pitches on Tuesday before being forced to leave with what was originally reported as hip irritation. He landed on the 10-day injured list the very next morning with a left oblique strain. Merryweather was an early season FAAB favorite, but it’s now unclear how much time he’ll be forced to miss. Jordan Romano would logically be the next man up, but Rafael Dolis could see some ninth inning work as well.
• 4/11: Looks like there was never anything to worry about in the Dodgers bullpen. Kenley Jansen came back into the ninth inning and earned a save with a perfect frame. Corey Knebel opened some eyes by getting a save the other day, but it seems like it was just a regular day off for Jansen, who would have been pitching in three of four games if he’d come in that day. Jansen’s closer job is safe.
• 4/11: Perhaps a chance of plans in Cleveland, as it now looks like Emmanuel Clase is taking the ninth inning reins, with James Karinchak and Nick Wittgren working to set him up. Clase hasn’t allowed a base runner yet this season.
• 4/11: The Marlins only needed two blown saves from offseason acquisition Anthony Bass to make a ninth inning switch. Yimi Garcia seems to be the most likely arm we’ll see in save situations in Miami, but manager Don Mattingly has said that lefty Richard Bleier will be in the mix as well based on matchups. Garcia is worth a pick up in most formats.
• 4/9: Peter Fairbanks is on his way to the injured list along with Chaz Roe, leaving Diego Castillo solidly in charge of the Rays bullpen. Cody Reed and Collin McHugh may get some more significant innings, but for the first time in who knows how long, the Rays may have an actual closer.
• 4/7: The Cleveland bullpen may be taking shape. James Karinchak pitched the seventh inning in today’s game, Emmanuel Clase pitched the eighth, then Nick Wittgren came in for the ninth and earned the save. This may end up being a committee, but there’s reason to think Cleveland could give Wittgren every chance to take the ninth inning for himself.
• 4/6: Diamondbacks reliever Joakim Soria was officially placed on the IL due to a calf injury. For now, Arizona will likely go with a committee including Stefan Crichton, Kevin Ginkel, and Chris Devenski.
• 4/6: The Nationals were hit hard by a COVID outbreak to start the season (their first four games were postponed). Now that they’re back and ready to play, several key players will be placed on the injured list, including closer Brad Hand. The team did not give reason for his IL stint, implying a positive COVID test or exposure via contact tracing. Daniel Hudson figures to close games in the meantime, with Tanner Rainey possibly getting some ninth inning work in as well.
• 4/6: Jesse Hahn earned a save for the Royals, while on-paper closer Greg Holland loosened up in the bullpen the whole time. It’s looking like it could be a committee in Kansas City.
• 4/6: Speaking of committees, Amir Garrett got the first save for the Reds and should continue to pitch key innings, but Lucas Sims is likely to work those important frames as well. For now, this is another committee that Sean Doolittle could dip his toe into as well.
• 4/4: Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Joakim Soria exited Sunday’s game with the team’s trainer after pitching 2/3 of an inning, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. He allowed two walks before being relieved by Kevin Ginkel in the eighth inning, and then Chris Devenski in the ninth who notched the save. Soria is presumed to be the likely closer in Arizona, but if he is out for any length of time that role may fall to Stefan Crichton, who pitched in the seventh inning today, or Devenski.
• 4/4: The Blue Jays lost Kirby Yates before Opening Day and were then expected to go with Jordan Romano as their closer. Based on Opening Weekend usage though, it looks like Romano may stay in his fireman high leverage role, and Julian Merryweather might be slotting into the ninth inning. It’s not official yet, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on, and Merryweather should be picked up in most formats.
• 4/4: The Padres bullpen was someone of a question mark when the season began. Not at all in terms of talented arms available, but in terms of who would fill each role. For now, it looks like veteran Mark Melancon will be working the ninth inning, with Emilio Pagan and Drew Pomeranz working together to set him up. Melancon doesn’t have the strikeout potential that the other Padres relievers have, but if he’s going to be earning saves, he needs to be rostered.
• 4/4: The Rays bullpen was another that had some usage question marks heading into the season, but in their opening series against the Marlins, Diego Castillo received and converted both save opportunities. Peter Fairbanks worked ahead of Castillo and would seem to be the primary setup man in Tampa Bay. With how the Rays operate, we can fully expect other pitchers to earn saves as the season progresses, but at least for now, Castillo has to be penciled in as the favorite.
• 4/4: The Orioles are 3-0! While preseason chatter made it sound like Tanner Scott would be the preferred option in the ninth inning, veteran Cesar Valdez with his unhittable changeup has been the one in for save situations in Baltimore. For now at least, it’s clear that he’s the preferred option and should be rostered in most formats.
• 4/1: More Opening Day bullpen news: The Cardinals are expected to go with Alex Reyes as their closer, even though they might not use the term „closer” officially. He’s „the reliever they’re going to call on to finish games” according to the team’s beat writer. There’s upside with Reyes, but there’s plenty of injury risk too.
• 4/1: Some Opening Day bad news for Oakland as the A’s had to place closer Trevor Rosenthal on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but Jake Diekman will likely fill in as closer in the meantime, and needs to be picked up in all formats right away.
• 3/31: The Phillies have an official closer, as manager Joe Girardi announced that Hector Neris will be the team’s closer. New Phillies Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado will work in setup roles for now, but this could be a bullpen that remains in constant flux in 2021.
• 3/29 The news got worse for the Rangers, as Jose Leclerc, who was expected to miss „some time” will now miss at least all of this season. Leclerc needs Tommy John Surgery and won’t pitch again until 2022 at the earliest. For now, it looks like the Rangers will go with either Matt Bush, Ian Kennedy, or both in their ninth inning.
• 3/29: Good news from an AL East bullpen for a change: Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes was cleared to rejoin the team after his positive COVID test was determined to be a „non-infectious positive for COVID-19.” While there has been no official announcement, Barnes should be the favorite for saves once the season begins.
• 3/29: Some National League news this time, as the Reds seem ready to go into the season with a committee in the ninth inning. Lucas Sims, Amir Garrett, and Sean Doolittle should all mix in for saves at first, but any one of them could take the reins and keep the job for themselves. It’s a bullpen to follow closely, but for now it’s tough to say who to trust in the Reds bullpen for standard league fantasy managers.
• 3/29: The Cleveland Indians have fantasy darling James Karinchak in their bullpen, but he’s struggled to throw strikes this spring, and Cleveland manager Terry Francona has said he will mix Karinchak, James Wittgren, and Emmanuel Clase in save opportunities. Karinchak clearly has the most upside and is the only one being drafted anywhere near most fantasy drafts, but his value would definitely plummet in standard leagues if he opens the season as a setup man.
• 3/27: The AL East and bad bullpen news just seem to go together so often already this season. Matt Barnes of the Red Sox has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be on the team’s Opening Day roster. He was expected to be the closer in Boston, so now that responsibility will likely fall to Adam Ottavino. Barnes should still reclaim his job if he’s able to come back quickly, but if Ottavino shines in his absence, the change may be more than temporary.
• 3/26: More bad news for an AL East bullpen, as Nick Anderson of the Rays is out until around the All-Star Game due to a partially torn ligament in his elbow. The good news is he is expected to recover with rest and surgery is not being recommended at this point. The Rays are likely to go with a committee and maybe give saves to the „hot hand” on any given day, but guys like Peter Fairbanks and Diego Castillo would seem to be the most likely to be on the mound in the ninth inning.
• 3/23: Updating yesterday’s Blue Jays news, it is now „very likely” that Kirby Yates will require Tommy John Surgery, which would knock him out for the entire 2021 season. It’s a blow to the Blue Jays, but Jordan Romano should be able to step into the ninth inning and immediately becomes a guy that should be rostered in all formats.
• 3/22: Another closer down before the season even starts, as Blue Jays closer Kirby Yates is down with a flexor pronator strain in his throwing arm. Jordan Romano will presumably take over and should be picked up in all formats right away. It’s unclear how much time Yates will have to miss.
• 3/22: The Rangers bullpen is a complete mess already, with closer Jose Leclerc expected to miss „an extended period of time” with elbow soreness. Jonathan Hernandez, Joely Rodriguez, and Demarcus Evans were all expected to pitch significant innings too, but they’re all injured as well. Ian Kennedy and Matt Bush were non-roster invites but one of them could open the season as the closer. Rodriguez is expected to be the first one back though, so he could take over the ninth inning soon after Opening Day. It’s a bullpen to avoid in fantasy.
• 3/22: The Padres bullpen has a lot of excellent arms in it, leading to the question of who will actually close since so many of them could. Lately, Cactus League moves and quotes from people close to the team seem to imply that Emilio Pagan could end up as the closest thing to a full fledged closer in San Diego. Almost any member of the Padres bullpen is an excellent holds league reliever, but Pagan could be the most valuable guy in standard formats.
• 3/16: Orioles youngster Hunter Harvey was looking like he’d get a chance to close this season, but now he finds himself on the 60-day injured list with an oblique injury. That’ll leave guys like Cesar Valdez and Tanner Scott on the mound in the ninth inning for Baltimore.
• 3/16: The Rockies bullpen got some solidity, as manager Bud Black named Daniel Bard the team’s official closer. Bard has some nice upside, even though pitching in Colorado is never easy.
• 3/10: Yankees reliever and top setup man Zack Britton will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery on Monday and will miss a few months. He’s not expected back on a big league mound until June or July. Aroldis Chapman remains atop the Yankees depth chart, with Chad Green moving into the top setup role and Darren O’Day likely moving up into a key holds role as well.
• 3/9: Fresh update to the depth charts, taking into account early spring usage and comments from managers. (Almost) everything is still subject to change between now and Opening Day, of course.
• 2/17: Marlins manager Don Mattingly heavily implied that Anthony Bass would be the team’s closer. Meanwhile, a trade brought John Curtiss to the Marlins, and he should figure into the late innings as well.
• 2/17: The Giants officially signed Jake McGee, and manager Gabe Kapler confirmed that McGee would compete for the closer’s role. It’s hard to trust a Kapler Closer, but McGee would seem to be the best bet in San Francisco’s pen.
• 2/14: Mark Melancon and Keone Kela signed with the Padres. Sergio Romo signed with the Athletics. Melancon is expected to close but Drew Pomeranz will likely get save chances as well.
• Bullpen depth charts and stability ratings will be updated throughout the preseason
• Some teams may have competition or unsettled closers to start the season including the Orioles, Tigers, Rangers, Braves, Cubs, Giants and more.
• Several teams signed or traded for new closers including Kirby Yates, Liam Hendriks, Alex Colome, Raisel Iglesias, Rafael Montero, Brad Hand, Joakim Soria

2020 Season

• 9/21: All bullpens updated for (maybe?) the last time in the regular season! Check it out and good luck in the fantasy finals!
• 9/21: Cesar Valdez is all of a sudden seeing save opportunities in Baltimore and might be a good pickup for the last week of the season. The 35-year-old has earned two saves in the last two save chances the Orioles have had.
• 9/16: Welp, so much for Ken Giles in Toronto. The closer is back on the injured list with the same injury he suffered before. Giles has dealt with issues in his throwing arm since last season and might not return until 2021. The Blue Jays pen will likely go back to being a committee led by Rafael Dolis.
• 9/11: The Diamondbacks made it seem like Kevin Ginkel was going to get a chance to close, but today they optioned him back to the Alternate Site, so it certainly won’t be him handling any ninth inning leads. Stefan Crichton and Travis Bergen look like the next possible guys up, but it could be a day by day thing in the desert.
• 9/11: Giovanny Gallegos has landed on the IL with a groin injury. Andrew Miller looks like he’s next in line, but it could end up continuing as a committee at least until someone stands out.
• 9/11: Ken Giles is on his way back and could be activated this weekend. He’ll get an inning or two of low-leverage work, but should be in the closer’s role before long.
• 9/11: Giovanny Gallegos was forced to leave Thursday’s game with a groin injury. It’s unclear if he’ll miss extended time, but Andrew Miller, John Gant, and Ryan Helsley should step up if necessary.
• 9/11: Bryan Garcia looks to be rising to the top of the Tigers bullpen committee. He’s worth picking up in most formats for fantasy managers desperate for a few more saves.
• 9/8: The Mariners bullpen is finally somewhat settled, but closer Yoshihisa Hirano still hasn’t pitched in back-to-back days since returning from the IL. So yesterday, Yohan Ramirez saved his third game of the year. It’s not quite a committee because Hirano will be in there when he’s available, but he might not be as locked in as other closers until he can pitch in consecutive games.
• 9/7: Almost nothing happened in bullpens for several days! That was a nice respite from this wild season.
• 9/3: Hoby Milner is on the injured list with back spasms, meaning the recently-returned Cam Bedrosian should log several holds in September. If he looks sharp then he may see a save opportunity or two with Ty Buttrey’s shaky 1.34 WHIP and poor 10/6 K/BB ratio over 18 2/3 IP treading water.
• 9/2: Zack Britton is back in the Yankees bullpen and should continue as the primary setup man. Aroldis Chapman has been suspended for three games, and Britton should close if necessary for the games Chapman misses.
• 9/2: Emilio Pagan landed on the injured list, so Drew Pomeranz and newcomer Trevor Rosenthal will continue atop the San Diego bullpen with a little less competition.
• 8/31: TRADE DEADLINE UPDATES! Seattle sent Taylor Williams to the Padres, where he’ll settle in somewhere in middle relief. Yoshi Hirano should close in Seattle. Archie Bradley went to the Reds, where Raisel Iglesias should still close, but he’ll have much less room for error. Hector Rondon and Junior Guerra should split opportunities in Arizona. David Phelps went to the Phillies, where he might be a good candidate for holds, and Miguel Castro joined the Mets and could get some late inning hold chances too.
• 8/31: There are sure to be several changes coming throughout the day as the trade deadline approaches, but for now, the Orioles are giving Cole Sulser a bit of a break after he’s struggled a bit. There’s no clear replacement, but Hunter Harvey seems like a strong candidate if he can get back up to speed and stay healthy.
• 8/31: For those keeping an eye on committees, Gregory Soto seems to be moving to the top in Detroit, and rather surprisingly, Sam Coonrod got a save for San Francisco. Nothing is determined, but it’s something to keep an eye on for managers desperate for saves.
• 8/30: The Mariners and Padres completed a seven-player trade with some bullpen arms involved. Dan Altavilla and Austin Adams will head to San Diego in the deal. They should both pitch out of the bullpen, but likely won’t mix into the late innings now that Drew Pomeranz is healthy and Trevor Rosenthal is a Padre.
• 8/30: The Orioles traded Mychal Givens to the Rockies, and he should immediately be in the mix for saves in Colorado. Cole Sulser remains the top guy in the Baltimore pen.
• 8/29: When asked about the closer situation after trading Trevor Rosenthal, Royals manager Mike Matheny hinted at Greg Holland, but also mentioned Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont. The dark horse? Matheny also said Jesse Hahn may get an opportunity. It’s a full committee for now, it seems.
• 8/29: Plenty of news for a Saturday! New closers in San Diego, Kansas City, and Toronto. The Royals traded Trevor Rosenthal to the Padres, making him the top option for the Padres and leaving Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont to likely work the ninth together in Kansas City.
• 8/29: Drew Pomeranz was activated off the injured list today. He’ll rejoin the Padres bullpen, but it’s unclear if he or the newly acquired Trevor Rosenthal will work as closer.
• 8/29: Jordan Romano landed on the injured list, leaving the Blue Jays back to a committee likely with Anthony Bass and Rafael Dolis working the ninth. Romano is expected to miss two to four weeks.
• 8/29: Hunter Harvey has been on the injured list most of this season, but he’ll be activated within the next day or two. He’ll probably need time to get back up to speed, but he could work his way into the closer’s role before long.
• 8/27: Keone Kela has only pitched two innings this year and now he’s heading right back to the injured list with tightness in his forearm. Richard Rodriguez should pick up whatever save chances the Pirates accidentally end up in.
• 8/27: Andrew Miller has hit the IL with arm fatigue, which should solidify Giovanny Gallegos as the closer for the time being. This is a bullpen to monitor.
• 8/26: Shakeup in the Tigers bullpen, as Joe Jimenez will get some time to get things ironed out. In the meantime, manager Ron Gardenhire says he’ll play matchups in the ninth inning.
• 8/24: Daniel Bard got the most recent save chance for the Rockies, and converted it with a perfect ninth inning. The Colorado bullpen is still a committee, but it looks like Bard may be taking over at least as the head of the committee.
• 8/24: Jordan Romano picked up the save for the Blue Jays and looks to be the new closer in town.
• 8/23: Nick Anderson is the latest Rays pitcher to hit the IL. He’s dealing with a forearm strain, but it’s not expected to keep him out for too long. Diego Castillo will probably see the most save chances, but this could be more of a ninth inning closer carousel.
• 8/23: Just when the Pirates finally got their closer back on the mound, Keone Kela got hurt. He’ll be out for a bit, but the Pirates likely won’t have too many save chances anyway. If they do, Richard Rodriguez seems like the favorite for the ninth.
• 8/23: Andrew Miller came in to pitch the eighth inning and Giovanny Gallegos had to bail him out and then pitch the ninth. It’s still a committee until we see more consistent usage, but Gallegos seems to be atop the committee now at least.
• 8/21: TRADE! The Red Sox and Phillies have worked out a trade to revamp the Phillies bullpen. Brandon Workman should immediately become the closer in Philly, moving Hector Neris into a setup role. Meanwhile, Matt Barnes should take over for Boston if they ever accidentally have a lead in the ninth.
• 8/21: Drew Pomeranz is dealing with shoulder tightness and ended up on the IL, right when he was given the chance to take over the closer’s role full time. There doesn’t seem to be a ton of concern long term, but any shoulder issue with a pitcher could become a big deal. Emilio Pagan and Craig Stammen figure to fill in for Pomeranz in the meantime.
• 8/20: Corey Knebel has landed on the IL thanks to a hamstring strain. David Phelps and Devin Williams will move into more prominent roles behind Josh Hader while Knebel recovers.
• 8/19: Big news out of Queens, as Seth Lugo will be stretched out to become a member of the starting rotation. Edwin Diaz figures to get another shot to lock down the closer’s role for the Mets, but Dellin Betances and Jeurys Familia could be involved as well.
• 8/17: Padres closer Kirby Yates has been recommended for season ending surgery. Drew Pomeranz has been working as closer in his place and should continue to do so, although Emilio Pagan could get some chances as well.
• 8/17: Andrew Miller got another save in Game 1 of Monday’s double header, pitching after Giovanny Gallegos. It’s two save situations in a row that have gone to Miller, and he’s now listed as the head of the committee. This is all subject to change, of course, especially with the Cardinals playing tons of double headers coming up.
• 8/16: Turmoil in the Rockies bullpen as Jairo Diaz made a mess on Sunday that got cleaned up by Carlos Estevez. Following the game, the Rockies announced that they would no longer use a designated closer, and that Estevez would be sent for x-rays of his throwing hand after taking a comebacker off his hand in the game. Daniel Bard may suddenly jump into save situations after an excellent start to the season.
• 8/15: For some reason only Gabe Kapler could know, Trevor Gott was allowed into a game tonight after last night’s disastrous outing. Gott was bad again and it’s hard to see him having any confidence the next time he climbs the mound. Tony Watson and Tyler Rogers were good and may see the next few save chances for the Giants.
• 8/15: In the first save situation since the Cardinals shutdown, Andrew Miller was on the mound and earned the save in Game 2 of a double header. It’s hard to tell what that means going forward since Giovanny Gallegos pitched in Game 1, but Miller is someone to keep an eye on, all of a sudden.
• 8/15: Craig Kimbrel had his best outing in a while on Friday, inducing more swinging strikes than he had in the entire rest of the season. It was also the first appearance where he didn’t allow a run, after seven straight where he did. Rowan Wick still seems to be atop this committee, but Kimbrel could quickly work his way back in if he’s Craig Kimbrel again.
• 8/15: Trevor Gott got got on Friday night, allowing five runs and giving up the lead (bright spot? no blown save because the lead was so big. Okay, maybe not so bright.) He should still stay atop the San Francisco committee, but another bad outing from Gott could shift things around.
• 8/15: Devin Williams is ascending in the Milwaukee bullpen, and could soon take over for Corey Knebel as Josh Hader’s top setup man. Williams has been excellent and has elite swing-and-miss stuff.
• 8/15: Huge news out of San Diego, as closer Kirby Yates is heading for an MRI after leaving Friday’s game. He threw just six pitches and has seemed hurt pretty much all season. Drew Pomeranz will take over the closer’s role and could easily be one of the best closers in the game, much like Yates was last season.
• 8/13: Edinson Volquez is done for the season (and maybe for his career?) after being placed on the injured list with an oblique strain. Rafael Montero has a hold on the ninth, but Joely Rodriguez will move into a position where he could earn some holds.
• 8/13: Keone Kela has been activated and will be back on the mound for this weekend’s series. He’s likely to be the closer right away and although the Pirates may not win a ton, Kela is solid enough to be worth owning in most formats.
• 8/12: Aroldis Chapman will pitch in a simulated game on Friday and that may be the last step before he’s activated. He should take over the closer’s role pretty soon, but might get a few lower leverage innings when he first gets back on the mound.
• 8/11: Padres closer Kirby Yates was unavailable on Monday due to „soreness in his body” which to be honest: same. Drew Pomeranz got the save, but Yates should be back on the mound the next time the Padres have a lead to lock down.
• 8/10: Cole Sulser still looks like the main guy in Baltimore, but Miguel Castro has been pitching important innings and earned a save on Sunday. It’s another committee for the Orioles, with Sulser still holding a slight edge.
• 8/10: The Mariners bullpen continues to be a day-to-day event, but Taylor Williams has three saves while all of the other options have just one. Williams came in to bail Dan Altavilla out of a rough situation and it looks like Williams has moved into the top spot for right now. With Carl Edwards Jr. now heading to the IL, Williams should have a bit of a leash, but this will be a fluid situation all year long, though.
• 8/10: Looks like Rafael Montero is the guy in the Texas bullpen. We’ll keep it as questionable for now just to be sure, but he’s a must-add in most formats at this point.
• 8/10: Oliver Drake ended up on the IL thanks to biceps tendinitis, so Nick Anderson should be the top choice in the Rays pen once again. Jose Alvarado and Diego Castillo will be in the mix as well.
• 8/10: Trevor Rosenthal needed a day off so Scott Barlow earned the save on Sunday. Rosie is still the guy here right now, but Barlow may have moved into the top setup role.
• 8/9: Seth Lugo has taken over as the closer for the Mets, based on usage over the past few games. Edwin Diaz has been much better lately and should get any chances that Lugo doesn’t. Lugo needs more days off than most relievers, so this is still kind of a committee, but Lugo is the clear head.
• 8/9: Trevors around the league have moved into closer’s roles, with Trevor Rosenthal taking over in Kansas City and Trevor Gott in San Francisco. Rosenthal is the better fantasy bet thanks to his strikeout upside.
• 8/8: The Marlins placed Richard Bleier on the injured list on Saturday because of a mild left elbow triceps strain. He was looking like a solid source of holds in deeper leagues, but won’t be back on the mound for at least 10 days.
• 8/8: When Wade Davis hit the injured list for the Rockies, we knew it would be either Jairo Diaz or Carlos Estevez taking over. While it’s still likely to be a committee to some extent, it does look like Diaz has jumped ahead and will be the best bet at least until Davis returns.
• 8/8: We’re seeing more and more committees forming in bullpens around the league. The Mets ninth inning will be split between Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz for now, and the Cubs will go with a combo of Craig Kimbrel and Rowan Wick. There’s a chance these committees could be temporary, but if none of the pitchers separate themselves, then it could remain a group effort going forward.
• 8/8: Taylor Williams and Carl Edwards Jr. seem to be the current best bets for saves in the Seattle bullpen. This has already been one of the most volatile bullpens in the league and should continue to be. There are some decent arms here, but the overall situation makes it a bullpen likely best left alone in most fantasy formats.
• 8/8: Who knows when the Cardinals will play again, but when they do, it won’t be Ryan Helsley taking the ball in the ninth, as he’s on the IL with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. It looks like Giovanny Gallegos may end up closer by default.
• 8/7: Rafael Montero was activated off the IL and immediately picked up a save. He has moved to the top of the Rangers bullpen depth chart. Montero was a promising prospect who dealt with multiple injuries over the years but definitely has the stuff to be a solid closer.
• 8/7: Trevor Rosenthal picked up the save and has been moved to the top of the Royals bullpen depth chart. Meanwhile, Ian Kennedy continues to struggle after his surprisingly great 2019.
• 8/5: Shake up in the Cardinals bullpen, as Kwang-Hyun Kim will leave the closer’s role and enter the starting rotation. For now, the Cardinals will go with a committee, but Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Helsley seem to be the best bets for save chances.
• 8/5: The Pirates placed Nick Burdi on the 45-day injured list, so his season is over. Keone Kela will close as soon as he returns, and the Pirates will probably mix and match until then.
• 8/5: With Hansel Robles struggling, the Angels will make their way to a committee. Ty Buttrey got the first save of the post-Robles era, and he’s the best bet to get the most chances going forward.
• 8/4: Updates on Astros closer Roberto Osuna show what manager Dusty Baker said to be correct: the team will be without their closer for a long time. Osuna has been recommended for Tommy John Surgery, which would knock him out of this season and likely most of next season as well. Ryan Pressly will work the ninth innings in Houston for now.
• 8/4: The Pirates confirmed that Keone Kela would be the closer once he was back with the team. Kela has been dealing with COVID-19 but has been cleared to return to workouts and is working his way back. Nick Burdi is currently the closer in Pittsburgh, but that will change soon.
• 8/4: Astros manager Dusty Baker said about closer Roberto Osuna’s injury, „Doesn’t look real good, actually.” We can expect a long absence from Osuna, leaving Ryan Pressly to serve as closer. Pressly has dealt with his own arm issues, though, so Blake Taylor could be the backup’s backup in Houston.
• 8/2: Astros closer Roberto Osuna was officially placed on the IL with a case of elbow soreness. Ryan Pressly just got back on the mound after dealing with elbow issues of his own, but he’s still the best bet to be on the mound in the ninth inning for Houston.
• 8/2: Big shake up in the Colorado bullpen, as Wade Davis landed on the IL with a shoulder strain and Scott Oberg was transferred to the 45-day IL. Carlos Estevez and Jairo Diaz will likely share save chances until one of them stands out.
• 8/1: Roberto Osuna had to be removed from a save situation due to an injury later reported to be „discomfort” in his throwing arm. He is scheduled for an MRI, but it appears he will miss some time. Ryan Pressly is next in line, but he’s been dealing with his own health issues as well.
• 8/1: Hansel Robles blew another save in grand fashion on Saturday. Robles was solid and consistent last season, but he’s having a lot of trouble getting outs in 2020. It’s unclear who’d be next in line in Anaheim, as top setup man Ty Buttrey has been struggling this year as well.
• 8/1: Cole Sulser has jumped to the top of the Orioles committee. He is extremely effective against lefties, so manager Brandon Hyde may choose to use him more in a fireman role rather than limiting him to the ninth inning, but Sulser is the top of this committee for now.
• 8/1: The Marlins and Orioles made a trade, with Richard Bleier heading from Baltimore to Miami in exchange for a player to be named later. Bleier will likely work in the late innings for Miami if they play another game this season.
• 8/1: Dan Altavilla looked like he was taking over the Mariners bullpen, but he got lit up in a save opportunity and Taylor Williams earned another save on Friday. The Seattle bullpen will probably feature a carousel of closers this season, but for now, Williams seems like the top dog.
• 8/1: Kirby Yates, baseball’s best closer by a decent margin last season, is on the hot seat already this season. He’s allowed four earned runs after allowing just eight in all of 2019. His biggest issue seems to be control, as he usually keeps his BB% under 8%, and it’s at 25% right now. Drew Pomeranz got a save on Friday, and is more than just knocking on the door of the ninth inning.
• 8/1: The Royals bullpen looks like an all-out committee, we’ll say Trevor Rosenthal is at the top for now, but that can change from one day to the next.
• 8/1: Surprising literally no one in baseball, Wade Davis hasn’t been great this year. Scott Oberg has been hurt but is on his way back and would be next in line. For now, it’s Carlos Estevez and Jairo Diaz at the end of the Rockies pen, along with Davis.
• 7/31: Will Smith feels „really really good” according to manager Brian Snitker. He’ll face live hitters in a couple of days, then throw in a sim game. After that, he should be activated and quickly become the top setup man in Atlanta.
• 7/31: Sean Doolittle is working on things right now, making Daniel Hudson the choice for saves in Washington, at least temporarily. A good showing from Hudson could keep him in the ninth inning for a while though.
• 7/31: The Blue Jays sound optimistic about Ken Giles, saying they hope to have him pitch again „relatively soon”.
• 7/31: Aroldis Chapman was dealing with COVID-19 but has been cleared to rejoin his teammates. He’ll probably get a few normal innings to get his feet wet before jumping back into the closer’s role full time.
• 7/31: Mets manager Luis Rojas said „we need to talk” about removing Edwin Diaz from the closer’s role. It sounds like Diaz is on extremely thin ice, or that he’s lost the job already. The Mets have several closer-type arms to choose from, including Seth Lugo, Dellin Betances, and Jeurys Familia.
• 7/30: Lots to look at in Thursday night’s games. James Karinchak got the save for Cleveland. He may be next up if Brad Hand continues to struggle with his velocity. Trevor Rosenthal got the save for Kansas City, but the Royals bullpen still looks like a committee of veterans, including Ian Kennedy and Greg Holland as well. Daniel Hudson got the save for Washington, and he’s been off to a much better start than current closer Sean Doolittle. The two Nationals may switch roles before too long.
• 7/30: Rangers closer/fireman Jose Leclerc is dealing with the same injury as his teammate Corey Kluber. They both have a Grade 2 strain of the teres major muscle in their throwing shoulders. Neither will be on a mound again likely until the postseason. Nick Goody picked up the save on Wednesday night, but it was mostly due to game circumstance. If Leclerc misses more time, the Rangers could send Jonathan Hernandez or Edinson Volquez to the mound in the ninth innings.
• 7/29: Oliver Drake looks like he’s earned the „hot hand” in the Rays bullpen. He earned his second save in a row on Tuesday night and should continue to get save chances until his hand is less hot.
• 7/29: Nick Burdi earned his first career save last night and will be the favorite for saves in Pittsburgh, but manager Derek Shelton admitted he’d be careful with Burdi because of his previous injury history. Burdi should still easily have the most fantasy value, but Richard Rodriguez and Michael Feliz will find themselves on the mound in the ninth inning when Burdi is deemed unavailable.
• 7/29: Sergio Romo earned a save last night for the Twins, and Taylor Rogers still hasn’t pitched this season. Manager Rocco Baldelli says that Romo was already up and warm when the Cardinals turned the game into a save situation by adding a run. It’s a bit concerning for fantasy owners, but it seems Taylor Rogers is fine and should be on the mound soon.
• 7/28: More injuries in the Pirates bullpen have led to Kyle Crick joining Keone Kela on the injured list. That leaves Nick Burdi as the favorite for saves in Pittsburgh. He’s one of the top relief prospects in the game and should be added immediately.
• 7/28: Many people expected some turmoil in the Mets bullpen, but maybe not this early. On Monday night, Seth Lugo earned a four-out save, bailing out Jeurys Familia in the eighth then pitching a clean ninth to lock down a 7-4 win. Edwin Diaz has already blown a save and the Mets bullpen could be fully on its way to a committee at this point.
• 7/27: Blue Jays closer Ken Giles officially landed on the injured list with elbow soreness. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but it could be a while. Toronto figures to go with a committee for now, featuring Jordan Romano, Anthony Bass, and Rafael Dolis. Keep an eye on how Toronto uses their bullpen to see if any of those guys are worth a waiver claim.
• 7/27: Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel did almost nothing right on Monday, walking four and giving up two runs while getting just one out. He threw 34 pitches, just 13 for strikes. Kimbrel was clearly not right last season, and it seems like he’s not much different in 2020. Jeremy Jeffress came in to rescue Kimbrel and earned the save, and would likely be next in line if Kimbrel loses his ninth inning role.
• 7/27: Astros top setup man Ryan Pressly is dealing with elbow soreness. For now, he’s listed as „day-to-day”, but it’ll be important to keep an eye on him. Roberto Osuna remains at the top of the Astros bullpen, but Chris Devenski will likely move into Pressly’s spot.
• 7/26: The Giants (somewhat surprisingly) had two save opportunities this weekend against the Dodgers. Both went to Trevor Gott. With Gabe Kapler as manager, it’s almost impossible to say anyone has a leg up on the ninth inning, but Gott does seem like the early favorite, as he was able to save both games he came into.
• 7/26: Lots of news today, as Will Smith has been cleared to rejoin the Braves after throwing a side session in Atlanta. He’ll likely slide into the eighth inning/fireman role and should be an excellent roster piece in any holds leagues for now.
• 7/26: Trevor Gott earned the save for the Giants last night. Tony Watson and Tyler Rogers pitched in the eighth inning right ahead of him. It’ll likely be a full on committee for San Francisco this season, with recent usage and opposing batters determining the closer’s role each game.
• 7/26: The Mariners pretty much had a bullpen day on Sunday, with seven pitchers pitching against the Astros. When a save situation finally came around, though, Seattle gave the ball to Taylor Williams, who earned the save by striking out three in the inning despite allowing a run.
• 7/26: Blue Jays closer Ken Giles was forced to leave the game today due to an injury. It’s unclear how much time he will miss, but the Blue Jays could choose to go with Anthony Bass in the ninth inning, or with a committee that includes Bass, Rafael Dolis, and a few others.
• 7/26: Some interesting bullpen usage last night, as Greg Holland earned the save for Kansas City and Oliver Drake earned one for Tampa Bay. Ian Kennedy was used in the 6th and 7th innings, and Nick Anderson came in as a fireman in the 7th and 8th.
• 7/26: Edwin Diaz blew a save on Saturday, an all too common sight for Mets fans after last season. He was used as the closer in Games 1 and 2, but his leash will likely be very short.
• 7/23: A couple of bits of good news in the Phillies bullpen, as Tommy Hunter and closer Hector Neris are healthy and ready to go for Opening Day. With Joe Girardi serving as manager this year, Neris should have a more solid role in the ninth inning.
• 7/23: Astros closer Roberto Osuna will be on the Opening Day roster. He got a late start at Summer Camp, so there was reason to wonder if he’d start the season on the injured list, but he’s far along enough in his training that he’ll be on the team from the outset. Ryan Pressly will likely still get the first few save chances while Osuna gets up to speed, but it’s ultimately Osuna’s job once he’s set to go.
• 7/22: Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is still testing positive for COVID-19 despite remaining asymptomatic. He’ll need two negative test results before he can rejoin the Yankees. Zach Britton is expected to handle the bulk of the save opportunities in the meantime.
• 7/22: Rockies reliever Scott Oberg will begin the season on the injured list. He was set to be the main setup man for Colorado and the handcuff for the volatile Wade Davis. At least for now, it seems like Oberg won’t be on the shelf for too long.
• 7/22: Pirates closer Keone Kela revealed that he has been away from the team due testing positive for COVID-19. He says he has been asymptomatic, but continuously tests positive or inconclusive. He’ll need two negative tests before he can rejoin his teammates.
• 7/22: Orioles rookie reliever Hunter Harvey is „very doubtful” to be ready for Opening Day. He’s dealing with soreness in his throwing elbow, although the team is reportedly „not concerned about it at all”. Mychal Givens will open the season as the Orioles closer, but Harvey should take over once he’s healthy.
• 7/22: More mess in the Mariners bullpen, as Austin Adams looks like he’ll start the season on the injured list. Adams is dealing with a knee injury, but should be right back into the ninth inning mix once he’s back on the mound.
• 7/22: Rays reliever Colin Poche is out for the year and likely most of next year as well. He was diagnosed with a torn UCL and will likely undergo Tommy John Surgery.
• 7/21: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Hunter Harvey is dealing with, „a little bit of arm fatigue”. It’s unclear if he’ll just need a couple of days off or if he’ll need a stint on the injured list to start the season. Harvey should be a ninth inning option for the Orioles this season once he’s healthy.
• 7/21: Just as the Cardinals bullpen seemed to be settling down, manager Mike Schildt announced that lefty Kwang-Hyun Kim would be starting the season in the bullpen and would likely be the primary closer. Kim does not have the kind of „stuff” you usually see in an effective closer, but his role will give him plenty of fantasy value.
• 7/20: The Astros bullpen has been downgraded to Questionable as closer Roberto Osuna may not be ready to go when the season starts. Manager Dusty Baker has said that Ryan Pressly will „probably” be the closer until Osuna is able to return.
• 7/20: The Phillies released Anthony Swarzak, presumably so he’d have a chance to pitch elsewhere. He’s more of a middle reliever at this point, but he could work his way into fantasy relevance if he signs with a club with a shallow bullpen.
• 7/19: Astros manager Dusty Baker said that he is „not sure” if closer Roberto Osuna will be ready to go for Opening Day. Osuna is behind after reporting late to Summer Camp. Ryan Pressly is the top option to take his place, but Osuna’s job is safe once he returns.
• 7/18: Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos (undisclosed) is finally on his way to St. Louis to join the team. He hasn’t been with the club since Summer Camp opened, so he’s unlikely to be ready to go on Opening Day. Still, he shouldn’t be too far behind and will play a key role in the Cardinals bullpen this season.
• 7/17: Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that he plans to mix and match for his closer’s role while Keone Kela is away for „undisclosed” reasons. Kyle Crick is the most likely one to get chances, but he’s a bit behind in Summer Camp so Nick Burdi could get some chances as well.
• 7/16: The Royals and Padres have agreed to a trade that will send Tim Hill to San Diego. Hill will be buried in the Padres bullpen, but should provide solid middle relief and situational outings against lefties.
• 7/16: Phillies closer Hector Neris was activated from the injured list and cleared to return to action. He should be ready to go on Opening Day.
• 7/14: Astros reliever Joe Smith has opted out of the 2020 season.
• 7/13: Jordan Hicks was expected to get a late start to the season after finishing his recovery from Tommy John Surgery, but he’s chosen to opt out of 2020 all together. Ryan Helsley seems like the the highest upside add, with Giovanny Gallegos slightly safer, although there’s plenty of risk there too.
• 7/13: Diego Castillo was back in Rays camp on Monday and believes he could pitch in back-to-back games right away. He missed three days of workouts due to a „personal matter” but seems right on track and should have a key role in the Tampa Bay bullpen this season.
• 7/11: Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for COVID-19 and is showing symptoms. Manager Aaron Boone says he is doing okay, but he won’t be around for a while of course. The Yankees bullpen is strong enough to take care of things while Chapman recovers, with a mix of Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino likely handling the ninth.
• 7/8: Cardinals president John Mozeliak was asked about his team’s closer role and the first person he mentioned was Ryan Helsley. He also mentioned Giovanny Gallegos, who hasn’t joined the team just yet, and Carlos Martinez if he is unable to stretch out into a starting role. Helsley has the most upside and is worth keeping an eye on.
• 7/7: The Baltimore bullpen looks like it could be a committee between Mychal Givens and Hunter Harvey. Harvey has the higher upside, but Givens has the experience that managers crave.
• 7/7: Trevor Rosenthal slides into the backup/handcuff role in Kansas City. He was terrible last season in 15 1/3 innings, but now reunited with manager Mike Matheny, Rosenthal should be given the chance to climb up the depth chart.
• 7/7: Jose Leclerc is the best reliever in the Texas bullpen, which is this case might not be the best thing for his fantasy value. Leclerc may be used in more of a fireman role than in a classic closer role, making him much more valuable to the Rangers, but potentially much less for fantasy owners.
• 7/7: Austin Adams works his way into the top spot in the Seattle bullpen, but that whole bullpen looks to be a work in progress, with Hirano, Magill, and perhaps even a few more likely mixing in for saves based on matchups.
• 7/7: Corey Knebel looks set to be the main handcuff for Josh Hader in Milwaukee, but Knebel may get a slightly late start. He’s recovering from Tommy John Surgery and has reportedly been throwing well, but he’s not a sure thing to be ready for New Opening Day.
• 7/7: Nick Burdi sneaks into the Pirates bullpen hierarchy and while he’ll likely start somewhere in a middle relief/7th inning role, he could have huge upside as closer if the Pirates move Keone Kela before the deadline.
• 7/7: John Brebbia was a key part of the Cardinals bullpen and was set to be again this year, but he was forced to undergo Tommy John Surgery and will miss all of whatever the 2020 season is, and likely a big part of 2021 as well. Ryan Helsley could have a huge year in a role somewhat like Brebbia’s, although he could move up in the pecking order if he pitches well.
• 7/7: Speaking of the Cardinals, Jordan Hicks should be ready to pitch at some point this season, but he won’t be ready to start the year. Giovanny Gallegos should take the closer’s role, but he’s currently on the injured list as well. The Cardinals expect Gallegos to be ready to go, but if he’s not, that bullpen will be mixing and matching to start the season.
• 7/6: Baseball is back! Maybe? The season is still a work in progress, but bullpen depth charts have been updated to reflect a few recent pieces of news, including a few closers landing on the injured list due to positive COVID-19 tests.
• 7/6: Key relievers currently dealing with positive COVID-19 tests include Will Smith of the Braves, Giovanny Gallegos of the Cardinals, and Hector Neris of the Phillies. There are reportedly 31 players who have tested positive so far, with more tests and certainly more positives to come. Bullpens could be more of a revolving door than ever before this season.
• 7/6: New Mets manager Luis Rojas is already making waves, refusing to commit to Edwin Diaz as closer when asked. The end of the Mets bullpen has a lot of great arms in Diaz, Dellin Betances, Seth Lugo, and Jeurys Familia. Diaz should still lead the committee, but may not end up taking the role for himself.