There was good news and bad news for fantasy baseball managers regarding closers this week. The good news is that Reds reliever Emilio Pagan was activated from the IL and will get a chance to climb the MLB closers rankings because the manager Terry Francona confirmed that he’ll retain his role as the team’s closer moving forward. 

The bad news is that it sounds like there’s a chance that Orioles closer Ryan Helsley could be headed back to the IL. He experienced right elbow discomfort while warming up in the bullpen on Wednesday and was unable to make an appearance. It’s an ominous situation since Helsley spent just about a month and a half on the IL due to right elbow inflammation. The Orioles had an off day on Thursday, and as this article is being written, there have been no further updates regarding his condition. 

Rico Garcia led the Orioles bullpen with three saves while Helsley was on the IL, but Anthony Nunez chimed in with two saves, and Andrew Kittredge also picked up a save during that time frame.

Should Helsley require another IL stint, look for the Orioles to once again use a committee approach with Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, and Grant Wolfram also potentially being in the mix for save opportunities. 

We’ll adjust our fantasy baseball closer grid once more information about Helsley’s future is made available. We update it as news happens, so make sure to refer to it on a regular basis.

The grid is just one of the great resources that can help you win your fantasy baseball leagues. Check out Howard Bender’s Fantasy Baseball Stock Watch for his insights on breaking news about trending fantasy baseball players. 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-related news to cover in this week’s bullpen report. Please enjoy!

Saves Leaders Over The Past Week

Rangers closer Jacob Latz continues his meteoric rise up the MLB closers rankings, leading the way with four saves over the past week. He has 18 overall saves this season to go along with a 1.71 ERA and 0.619 WHIP. 

Twelve other fantasy baseball relief pitchers collected two saves over the past week, most of whom are already on your radar. Mariners closer Andres Munoz, who had been struggling earlier in the season, recorded two saves last week. He seems back on track and is solidifying his place among MLB’s best closers. He hasn’t given up a run in his last seven innings pitched and has six saves during that time frame.

Latz’s fellow late-inning high-leverage reliever, Tyler Alexander, is probably a reliever you’re not familiar with, but he picked up back-to-back saves last Saturday and Sunday, giving him four on the season. He has a strong 2.50 ERA, a mediocre 1.333 WHIP, and seven holds in 2026. The Rangers have used Alexander as needed this season, including as an opener. He’s appeared in games as early as the fifth inning, and with a .305 BA against left-handed batters, he doesn’t seem to have a defined role or much fantasy value right now.

Guardians closer Cade Smith continues to be featured at the top of the MLB closers rankings and leads MLB closers with 26 saves this season. Rays reliever Bryan Baker has 22 saves this season, and Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien, Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran, and Padres reliever Mason Miller have the third most saves in baseball with 21. 

 

 

 

Holds Leaders Over The Past Week

Twenty different late-inning high-leverage relievers secured 20 holds last week. Pirates’ reliever Yohan Ramirez is among the most notable based on his seven strikeouts and four scoreless innings pitched last week. Keep him on your watch list, but tread lightly. His scoreless streak actually stretches out to his last 13 IP, but while he’s struck out 16 batters during that time frame, he’s also walked nine batters.

Peyton Gray is another Rangers reliever who caught my eye this past week. He had two holds last week and is riding an eight-inning scoreless streak. He struck out 13 batters and walked just one during that span.

Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero continues to lead MLB late-inning high-leverage relievers with 20 holds. Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski is next up with 19 holds.  Blue Jays reliever Tyler Rogers, Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo, and Rays reliever Kevin Kelly each have 18 holds this season. All three are one step away from save opportunities as their respective teams set up men.

Relievers To Take Note Of

Kenley Jansen 

Jansen is one of MLB’s best closers of all time, but he’s had a rocky 2026 season. He has nine saves and four blown saves on the season to go along with a bloated 5.23 ERA. Health has been an issue this season as he missed time due to a pelvic injury and also spent time on the IL. Unless Jansen is dealing with another undisclosed injury, his recent usage has been unusual. Manager A.J. Hinch had Jansen warm up in the bullpen in a close game against the Yankees on Wednesday, but he never used him in the game. On Thursday, Jansen faced two batters in the seventh inning of a game in which the Rangers were trailing by six runs. With Will Vest recently placed on the IL, it may be time to consider adding Kyle Finnegan, who has been struggling himself, to your fantasy roster. Jacob Waguespack, whom the Tigers acquired from the Brewers three weeks ago, has been one of their best relievers of late and is someone to keep on your watch list. He has a 1.86 ERA, 0.724 WHIP, and 7:2 K:BB ratio in 9.2 IP for the Tigers and 19 saves in his professional career. The Tigers have been using him in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings of games.

Gregory Soto

Is it possible that we’re starting to see a changing of the guard in the Pirates’ bullpen hierarchy? Soto’s last two appearances came in the eighth inning, and he’s given up two or more runs in two of his last three appearances. There haven’t been too many save opportunities for Pirates relievers lately. Carmen Mlodzinski has the team’s most recent one. It was a three-inning effort back on June 24th. Prior to that, Soto nailed the Pirates’ previous save on June 16th. Should the Pirates look to make a permanent change to their bullpen depth chart, there’s always a chance that they might give former closer Dennis Santana a chance at reclaiming his job, but keep an eye on Mason Montgomery. He has a 4.54 ERA, but a 3.17 FIP. An even more intriguing option might be Isaac Mattson. He has a 1.08 ERA in his last nine appearances spanning 8.1 IP and a 9:3 K:BB ratio during that time span. 

 

 

 

Congratulations on your first big league save!!

Ryan Rolison has been a jack of all trades for the Cubs this season. He’s been an opener, pitched middle innings, late innings, and he was finally used to close out a win on Tuesday. Rolison has a 1.97 ERA and 1.094 WHIP this season. The Cubs recently revealed that closer Daniel Palencia, who is on the IL due to a mild flexor strain in his forearm, will be out of action through the All-Star Break. With Palencia sidelined, Rolison might be used in additional high-leverage opportunities and could see himself climbing up the MLB closers rankings. 

Samy Natera is making his presence felt in a fluid Angels bullpen. He has a sparkling 0.84 ERA and 0.844 WHIP in his first nine games (10.2 IP). He picked up his first save last Sunday and also has a hold. Six of his nine appearances have been multiple-inning efforts. With the Angels using a committee approach to managing their save situations, Natera could find himself in the mix for additional save opportunities moving forward.