Nothing is ever a given when it comes to fantasy baseball closers. Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz has been one of MLB’s best closers and has regularly been near the top of MLB closers rankings over the past few seasons. However, he could be on the verge of at least temporarily losing his gig. 

Diaz, who spent close to three months on the IL earlier this season while recovering from right elbow surgery, has blown three of his last four save opportunities. Since returning from the IL, opposing hitters have a .414 batting average against Diaz, and he’s given up eight earned runs in 5.2 IP for a 12.71 ERA.  

Diaz is open to being moved out of the Dodgers’ closer role while he figures things out, but manager Dave Roberts sounds like he'll hold off on doing so for now. It also sounds like Roberts isn’t thrilled with his other options right now, which is surprising since Tanner Scott filled in nicely while Diaz was on the IL and has 16 saves this season.  

With Diaz no longer on the IL, Scott is back to being his setup man, and while he has holds in his last four appearances, he’s given up five walks in his last 5.1 IP. Despite Roberts’ perceived hesitation to remove Diaz from the closer’s role, should he decide to do so, Scott is likely to be the favorite to pitch in save situations for the short term.  

Keep an eye on our fantasy baseball closer grid for any potential updates to the Dodgers’ bullpen depth chart. The grid is just one of Fantasy Alarm’s great resources that can help you win your fantasy baseball league. Check out James Grande’s weekly Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column with new articles dropping every Sunday. For the latest in our video content, which is also updated daily, visit the Fantasy Alarm YouTube Channel.

In the meantime, we still have lots of closer and late-inning, high-leverage reliever-related news to cover in this week’s bullpen report, so please enjoy!

Saves Leaders Over The Past Week

Rockies closer Jordan Romano was one of three relievers with three saves over the past week. We’ve written about Romano’s early-season struggles extensively in previous columns, and if you’re in desperate need of saves, you can add him to your roster, but be aware that he is still dealing with some issues with his control. Since making his first appearance with the Rockies on July 4th, Romano has pitched to a respectable 3.09 ERA and has converted eight saves and one hold. However, he’s also walked seven batters and given up 11 hits in 11.2 IP. 

Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien also had three saves last week and has been moving up the MLB closers rankings of late. He hasn’t given up a run in his last eight appearances, and despite walking five, he’s struck out eight batters and recorded five saves during that time frame.

Twins closer Yoendrys Gomez had three saves last week as well. A contributing factor to Gomez’s breakout could be the fact that he’s changed his pitch mix this season. He has eliminated his curveball from his repertoire and has been throwing his fastball and sweeper more often this season. The fact that the velocity on all of Gomez’s pitches has increased this season has also contributed to his success in 2026.  

For the season, Rays reliever Bryan Baker continues to be one of MLB’s best closers and leads the major leagues with 34 saves. Guardians reliever Cade Smith, who has consistently been close to the top of the MLB closers rankings, is second with 31, and the previously mentioned Riley O'Brien has the third most saves in baseball with 30.

 

 

 

Holds Leaders Over The Past Week

The previously mentioned Tanner Scott had four holds for the Dodgers last week. Six other relievers had three holds each, including Yankees setup man Brent Headrick. He has 19 holds this season and has lowered his ERA to 1.47. Twins setup man Andrew Morris is also among the relievers who had three holds last week. The rookie reliever has improved as the season has progressed. Morris has 17 holds and three saves this season and a 0.66 ERA in his last 27.1 IP. 

Braves setup man Dylan Lee is another reliever who had three holds last week, and he leads all relievers with 27 holds this season. Blue Jays setup man Tyler Rogers and Rays reliever Kevin Kelly have the second most holds in baseball with 24. Mariners setup man Eduard Bazardo and Guardians setup man Hunter Gaddis each have the third most holds in baseball with 23.

Relievers To Take Note Of

Keep an eye on Reds closer Emilio Pagan. He’s been great since being reinstated from the IL, pitching to a 1.46 ERA and recording eight saves in 13 appearances. However, he was unavailable on Thursday due to what is being called “hand soreness”. Should his ailment turn into something more serious, look for Brock Burke and Tejay Antone to be next in line for future save opportunities.

Angels reliever Ben Joyce picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday and hasn’t given up a run in his first four appearances since being taken off the IL. Joyce, who underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder last May, was finally reinstated from the IL earlier this month. The average velocity on his fastball (101.3 mph) is back to pre-injury levels, and right now he looks like the favorite to continue closing out games for the Angels moving forward.

Braves closer Raisel Iglesias has given up runs in three of his last five appearances, pitching to a 9.64 ERA during that time span. It’s not time to panic just yet, but the velocity on Iglesias’ sinker is down almost 1 mph in those five appearances compared to his average velocity in his previous 39 appearances. 

Red Sox setup man Garrett Whitlock, who has been a good resource for holds with 21 this season, was placed on the IL due to right elbow inflammation this week. With Whitlock sidelined, Justin Slaten and Erik Miller are likely the favorites to be used in save situations for the short term.