Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Alarm 2026 Bullpen Report. As has been the norm so far this season, there are a few fantasy baseball closers who appear to be in danger of losing their job based on their poor performance. 

There are also two closers who are dealing with what appear to be minor injuries. We’ll let you know who to roster as the next man up in case those injuries turn into something more serious. Dealing with injuries is a huge part of managing the late-inning high-leverage relievers on your fantasy baseball rosters, and Fantasy Alarm’s MLB Injury Report is a great resource for keeping up with all the latest injury news as it happens.   

Since our last column, Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald has taken over the MLB lead in saves with six. Royals closer Lucas Erceg is one of the seven other relievers who are tied with five overall saves. Former closer Carlos Estevez (foot contusion) is nearing a rehab assignment, but Erceg has been pitching well and has a good chance of holding onto his role.

Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski continues to lead MLB with seven holds. Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero is one of three other pitchers with six holds so far this season. With Riley O’Brien firmly entrenched as the Cardinals’ closer, Romero has secured his role as the next man up in St. Louis. 

It’s been another busy week for late-inning high-leverage relievers. These are a few of the bullpens that should be on your radar.

MLB Closers 2026: Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers

With Edwin Diaz being selected among the top two fantasy baseball closers in most preseason drafts, the uncertainty over his availability over the past few days has undoubtedly kept some fantasy baseball managers up at night. He hasn’t pitched since Friday, April 10th, when he gave up three earned runs in one IP to the Rangers, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn’t provided specifics as to why he’s been unavailable. Rumors were swirling as the velocity on Diaz’s fastball and slider had dipped this season. He was averaging 97.2 mph on his four-seamer last season and just 95.8 this season. Diaz has lost close to one mph on his slider this season as well. Roberts finally acknowledged that Diaz has been dealing with a “minor” knee injury, but the good news is that if the Dodgers needed him, Diaz was available to pitch on Wednesday night. “Minor” injuries can sometimes develop into something more serious, so if Alex Vesia is available on your league’s waiver wire, I’d scoop him up. He has picked up the last two saves for the Dodgers and has 15 in his big-league career. Vesia hasn’t given up a run in 7.1 IP so far this season.

Milwaukee Brewers

Trevor Megill’s future as the Brewers' closer is in doubt. He’s given up seven runs in his last two outings spanning one IP. Despite manager Pat Murphy looking to shelter Megill from the wrath of Brewers fans based on his comments, it sounds like he’ll avoid using Megill in save situations for now. Abner Uribe picked up the save for the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon and will likely see more save opportunities in the near future. Uribe has struggled a bit this season (4.91 ERA, BS), but saved seven games for the Brewers last season while Megill was on the IL. Lefty Aaron Ashby might also be used in save situations against predominantly left-hitting lineups moving forward.

Los Angeles Angels

After blowing saves on Monday and Wednesday night, Angels reliever Jordan Romano is the latest fantasy baseball closer on the hot seat. Kirby Yates (knee) seems to be getting closer to returning to big league action, but no official timetable for his season debut has been released yet. Drew Pomeranz (5 holds) and Chase Silseth (3 holds) remain the favorites to be in the mix for save opportunities with Yates on the IL if Romano is removed as the team’s closer.  

 

 

 

Houston Astros

With the Astros’ bullpen still deep in flux, Enyel De Los Santos has picked up the team’s last two saves. De Los Santos is a journeyman reliever with five career saves, but he’s gotten off to a great start this season with a 1.35 ERA and 0.750 WHIP and has been one of the most reliable arms out of the Astros’ bullpen. We’ve covered Bryan Abreu’s early-season struggles in this column, but on a positive note, he hasn’t given up a run in his last two appearances (2.1 IP). Lefty Bryan King has been a bright spot in the Astros’ bullpen (2 holds, 1 save, 1.13 ERA), but with Josh Hader (bicep) not expected to be active for another month, De Los Santos could continue to be used in late-inning, high-leverage situations. Kai-Wei Teng is another Astros reliever who has pitched well so far this season. Right-handed hitters have a .050 BAA Teng this season, and while he hasn’t pitched in a save situation yet, with the current state of the Astros’ bullpen, he’s a name to keep on your watch list. 

Cincinnati Reds

Keep an eye on Emilio Pagan’s availability in the coming days. Reds’ manager Terry Francona revealed that Pagan is dealing with a hamstring injury. Preliminary updates suggest that it’s a minor injury; if you roster Pagan, you might want to check to see if Tony Santillan is available in your fantasy baseball league. He’d be the next man up and is also tied for having the second most holds in baseball with six. Pagan got off to a slow start this season but is riding a six-inning scoreless streak, and his five saves are the second most in baseball behind Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald.