Welcome to a new series here at RotoWire. Every Monday and Friday, I'll take a look back at the previous series and wrap up everything you need to know about the rapidly changing closer market.
These articles will contain five parts:
Who Earned Saves This Week/Weekend? A division-by-division look at who picked up saves in the previous series, as well as "true" blown saves and a few quick notes.
Closers I'm Worried About: A breakdown of a handful of closers whose jobs seem the most tenuous, as well as a look at the setup men who could be about to step up.
Bullpen Deep Dive: A closer look at a bullpen where everything is even more up in the air than usual, focusing on key stats and usage trends.
Injury Round-Up: A quick look at any currently injured closers and their progress toward a return to action.
Closer Grid: A snapshot of the RotoWire Closer Grid, which can also be found here.
Who Earned Saves This Week?
| American League East | Saves | "True" Blown Saves* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Andrew Kittredge (6) | none | Yennier Cano pitched the eighth inning prior to Kittredge's save Tuesday. |
| Boston | none | none | |
| New York | David Bednar (27) | none | |
| Tampa Bay | none | none | |
| Toronto | Louis Varland 2 (26), Spencer Miles (1) | none | Louis Varland was presumably unavailable for MIles' save Tuesday, having pitched on two of the previous three days, throwing a total of 47 pitches. Tyler Rogers was also unavailable after pitching on back-to-back |
Welcome to a new series here at RotoWire. Every Monday and Friday, I'll take a look back at the previous series and wrap up everything you need to know about the rapidly changing closer market.
These articles will contain five parts:
Who Earned Saves This Week/Weekend? A division-by-division look at who picked up saves in the previous series, as well as "true" blown saves and a few quick notes.
Closers I'm Worried About: A breakdown of a handful of closers whose jobs seem the most tenuous, as well as a look at the setup men who could be about to step up.
Bullpen Deep Dive: A closer look at a bullpen where everything is even more up in the air than usual, focusing on key stats and usage trends.
Injury Round-Up: A quick look at any currently injured closers and their progress toward a return to action.
Closer Grid: A snapshot of the RotoWire Closer Grid, which can also be found here.
Who Earned Saves This Week?
| American League East | Saves | "True" Blown Saves* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Andrew Kittredge (6) | none | Yennier Cano pitched the eighth inning prior to Kittredge's save Tuesday. |
| Boston | none | none | |
| New York | David Bednar (27) | none | |
| Tampa Bay | none | none | |
| Toronto | Louis Varland 2 (26), Spencer Miles (1) | none | Louis Varland was presumably unavailable for MIles' save Tuesday, having pitched on two of the previous three days, throwing a total of 47 pitches. Tyler Rogers was also unavailable after pitching on back-to-back days. |
*A pitcher can earn a blown save if he enters in what is technically a save situation prior to the ninth inning and blows the lead. For fantasy purposes, we don't really care about blown saves where a reliever was clearly being used as a setup man and coughed up the lead. What matters to us is when a reliever was genuinely being given a chance to save the game but blew it. Therefore, for the purposes of this article, I'm only going to report blown saves of that variety.
| American League Central | Saves | "True" Blown Saves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | none | Grant Taylor (4) | Taylor blew what would have been a six-out save chance Tuesday, allowing a pair of runs inherited from Bryan Hudson to score before getting out of the eighth inning and then pitching a clean ninth. |
| Cleveland | Cade Smith (31) | none | |
| Detroit | Kenley Jansen (14) | none | |
| Kansas City | none | none | |
| Minnesota | Yoendrys Gomez (17) | none |
| American League West | Saves | "True" Blown Saves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | none | none | |
| Houston | Josh Hader (17) | none | |
| Los Angeles | Samy Natera Jr. (3), Ben Joyce (1) | none | Joyce may have been unavailable for Natera's save chance Tuesday, as he'd just pitched the day before. Most relievers would be available for a back-to-back, but Joyce has only recently returned from a 15-month absence due to shoulder surgery, and the Angels seem to want to avoid overtaxing him. Natera was unavailable for Joyce's save Wednesday, having pitched on back-to-back days. |
| Seattle | Andres Munoz (21) | none | |
| Texas | Jacob Latz (23) | none |
| National League East | Saves | "True" Blown Saves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | none | none | |
| Miami | Pete Fairbanks (18) | none | |
| New York | Kodai Senga (1) | none | Senga's save Monday came a few hours after Devin Williams was placed on the injured list with a shoulder strain. Daniel Duarte, another potential fill-in closer candidate, pitched the seventh and eighth innings. |
| Philadelphia | Jonathan Bowlan (1) | none | Jhoan Duran was unavailable for Bowlan's save Monday, having pitched on back-to-back days. Orion Kerkering and Brooks Raley were unavailable for the same reason. |
| Washington | none | none |
| National League Central | Saves | "True" Blown Saves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Jacob Webb (8), Javier Assad (2) | none | Assad's save Wednesday was a four-inning save. |
| Cincinnati | Emilio Pagan (14), Julian Garcia (2) | none | Pagan was dealing with a sore hand Thursday and was unavailable for the save chance, which wound up going to Garcia. Brock Burke, Tejay Antone and Pierce Johnson, among others, pitched earlier in Thursday's game. |
| Milwaukee | Trevor Megill (22) | Antonio Senzatela (6) | Senzatela's blown save game in the 11th inning Wednesday after Megill, Aaron Ashby and Chad Patrick had already pitched. Abner Uribe was possibly unavailable, as he landed on the injured list with a flexor strain two days later. |
| Pittsburgh | none | none | |
| St. Louis | Riley O'Brien (30) | none |
| National League West | Saves | "True" Blown Saves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | none | none | |
| Colorado | Jordan Romano 2 (12) | none | |
| Los Angeles | Edwin Diaz (6), Landon Knack (1) | Edwin Diaz (4) | Knack's save Wednesday was an unconventional one. He entered with one out in the seventh and a two-run lead and was left in to record the final eight outs despite the fact that the score remained close. He was then optioned back to the minors. |
| San Diego | Mason Miller (30) | none | |
| San Francisco | JT Brubaker (2) | Dylan Smith (2) | Smith was unavailable for Brubaker's save Tuesday, having pitched on back-to-back days. |
Closer I'm Worried About
Edwin Diaz, Dodgers: Diaz made good time in his recovery from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, returning in late July after being given an ambiguous timeline of sometime in the second half when he went under the knife in late April. Considering his performance in his seven appearances since returning to action, though, it's fair to wonder whether he might have returned too soon or if he might still be dealing with some sort of arm problem.
Diaz has allowed at least one run in five of his seven outings since returning from the injured list, giving up eight runs in 5.2 innings overall. His strikeout rate sits at a modest 25.0 percent over that stretch, and his three walks and 12 hits have led to a 2.65 WHIP.
It's not all bad for Diaz, as his fastball velocity is up to 96.7 mph after sitting at 95.7 mph before the injury, though he's still below his 97.2 mph from last season and well below his 99.1 mph from his peak in 2022. Similarly, his fastball Stuff+ has increased from 100 before the injury to 110 since his return, but that's still a bit below his 113 fastball Stuff+ from last year. On the whole, this looks like a pitcher who remains just a bit off, but whether that's due to rust or lingering injury problems is unclear.
Worry-o-meter: 4 out of 5
Setup man to stash: Tanner Scott. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is standing by Diaz for now, though he chose a strange way to defend him, with Katie Woo of The Athletic quoting Roberts as saying, "Give me another option. I have to have other options, and to be quite honest, none of those guys have really thrown the baseball great [lately]."
It's hard to square that statement with Scott's game log, as Scott has allowed zero runs in his last six outings and just one in his last 13, lowering his ERA to 2.25. It's true that Scott doesn't have a strikeout in any of his last three outings, but that covers just five batters, so it would be unwise to read too much into that microscopic sample. For now, it looks like Diaz will get the chance to pitch his way back to effectiveness, but if Roberts changes his mind, Scott should slot seamlessly back into the role.
Bullpen Deep Dive
New York Mets
| 2026 Stats | Saves | ERA | WHIP | SIERA | K% | BB% | K-BB% | Stuff+ | Location+ | gmLI* |
| Kodai Senga | 1 | 8.12 | 1.70 | 4.68 | 25.8% | 15.4% | 10.4% | 97 | 93 | 0.73 |
| Daniel Duarte | 1 | 1.04 | 0.75 | 3.87 | 20.3% | 7.8% | 43.2% | 101 | 104 | 0.96 |
| Nate Lavender (L)** | 0 | 0.00 | 0.90 | 2.96 | 41.7% | 16.7% | 25.0% | 99 | 104 | 1.63 |
*gmLI is the average Leverage Index when a pitcher enters the game. 1.0 is average; closers typically sit north of 1.50.
**Lavender's numbers here come in just three major-league appearances.
Devin Williams hit the injured list Monday with a right shoulder strain, and while reports indicate the Mets believe this could be a short-term absence, it's not hard to envision a team that's 11.5 games out of a playoff spot deciding to shut down an injured pitcher at the slightest hint of a setback this time of year, especially considering Williams' poor results before the injury.
That means saves might well be available in Queens for the rest of the season. A month ago, there would have been plenty of interesting options lining up to challenge for the closer role, but Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazoban, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter were all dealt at the deadline.
That leaves an uninspiring group consisting mostly of pitchers with hardly any big-league experience fighting for saves. Kodai Senga is the exception to that rule, and his status as a veteran getting paid $15 million a year could make him the favorite. His numbers this year are terrible, but those come mostly as a starter, and the Mets will hope for a big step forward as he settles into a high-leverage relief role.
Senga picked up the Mets' most recent save Monday, with Daniel Duarte pitching the seventh and eighth innings, so that probably makes Senga the favorite for now. Duarte also has a save this month, though, pitching a scoreless ninth back on August 5 when Williams was unavailable due to arm fatigue. Senga may have been unavailable for that game, however, as he'd just pitched the day before, and the Mets probably didn't want to use him on back-to-back days considering that he's been a starter throughout his whole career.
Duarte has been effective this season and could still be in the mix if this is either a closer committee or an open competition for a true closer role. He's benefited from a .159 BABIP to get to his 1.04 ERA, though, and it's come in just 12 appearances. His modest strikeout rate and unimpressive ERA estimators tell a different story about his performance.
I've included Nate Lavender on the chart above despite the fact that he's a lefty and despite the fact that he's a 26-year-old rookie who's made just three major-league appearances. His 40.2 percent strikeout rate in the minors this year is simply too good to ignore, and it came with a perfectly palatable 9.2 percent walk rate. Ordinarily, his inexperience would leave him nowhere near the ninth inning, but a lack of experience is an almost universal fact among the Mets' relievers, so he's not far behind the rest of the pack. He already looks like the team's top left-handed reliever and should see the occasional save chance if this turns into a committee situation.
Injury Round-Up
Daniel Palencia, Cubs: Palencia has made four rehab appearances as he works his way back from a flexor strain which has kept him out since mid-June, but things haven't gone particularly well. He's allowed five runs in 3.1 innings of work, striking out three batters while walking six and hitting another.
It's hard to feel confident in Palencia's health given that he's also dealt with shoulder and lat strains in the last 12 months, and even if he does get cleared to return soon, it's worth noting that he was used earlier in games after returning from his shoulder injury late last season. Jacob Webb has pitched well while filling in as the closer and could keep adding to his eight saves, but if Palencia can earn his manager's confidence with a few scoreless outings, expect Webb to return to a setup role.
Justin Martinez, Diamondbacks: Martinez is working his way back from the second Tommy John surgery of his career, a procedure he underwent last June. Reports from this spring indicated Martinez was targeting a late-August return, and he appears to be right on track. He's made four rehab appearances, giving up no runs and no hits while striking out six and walking one.
Paul Sewald spent most of the year as the Diamondbacks closer but was removed from the role in late July and designated for assignment a short time later. Since then, Brandyn Garcia (2.12 ERA, 0.79 WHIP) has a pair of saves while Kevin Ginkel (3.71 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) has one. Martinez might get the chance to reclaim his closer jobs once healthy, but he might also be stuck in a committee with Garcia, Ginkel and potentially more.
Devin Williams, Mets: Williams hit the injured list Monday with a right shoulder strain after previously being unavailable due to arm fatigue. It's unclear how long the problem has been lingering for, but pitching through an injury could potentially explain why Williams has struggled to a 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP this year. As discussed above, Kodai Senga may be the top option for saves in his absence, but the Mets could also go with a committee approach. For now, the Mets seem to think this could be a brief absence, but they'll have little incentive to bring Williams back at the end of a lost season if he shows even the faintest sign of a setback.
Ryan Helsley, Orioles: Helsley has been throwing for over two weeks as he works his way back from elbow issues which have kept him out since early July. While Helsley still hasn't been diagnosed with any structural damage, he's been dealing with elbow problems for most of the year, as he was also on the IL from early May through mid-June. While he does appear to be trending in the right direction, a long build-up period is expected, so he probably won't see him until quite late in the year (if at all). Andrew Kittredge appears to be the top option for saves at the moment, though Yennier Cano is also in the mix.
Carlos Estevez, Royals: Estevez has been out nearly all year, first due to a bruised foot he suffered in his season debut and then due to a rotator cuff strain which emerged when he began a rehab assignment in early May. He's been throwing again for nearly a month, but the Royals have yet to indicate when they expect him to embark on another rehab assignment. Steven Cruz looks like the Royals' top option for saves at the moment, though the team's last save Saturday went to Nate Pearson, with Cruz pitching the eighth.
Closer Grid
This article will be published every Monday and Friday this season, taking a look back at the previous series' top closer news. For more closer updates, check out the RotoWire Closer Grid, which changes daily.
Here's how the whole thing looks as of Friday evening:
*part of a committee
Questions about any of the closers covered above or any relievers you're considering picking up off the waiver wire? Let me know in the comments below.
