Latest fantasy baseball bullpen updates
Liam Hendriks was activated by the White Sox on May, and though he's still working up to full speed, he'll serve as the team's closer once again. (May 30)
The Rays placed Pete Fairbanks (hip) on the 15-day injured list on May 29, pushing Jason Adam back into the team's closer role for the foreseeable future. (May 30)
The Cardinals appear to have shifted to a co-closership between Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos, who have two and five of the team's past seven successful save conversions. (May 30)
Team-by-team fantasy baseball bullpens
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Co-closers: Miguel Castro, Andrew Chafin
Primary setup: Scott McGough
May 30: The Diamondbacks continue to use Castro and Chafin in a closer partnership/ninth-inning platoon arrangement, though it's worth pointing out that Chafin was called upon to record two outs in the seventh inning of the team's May 28 victory, a game Castro ultimately closed. Castro might have a slight leg up in the battle for save chances as the right-hander of the two.
ATLANTA BRAVES
Closer: Raisel Iglesias
Primary setup: Nick Anderson
Keep an eye on: Collin McHugh
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Closer: Felix Bautista
Primary setup: Yennier Cano
Keep an eye on: Bryan Baker
BOSTON RED SOX
Closer: Kenley Jansen
Primary setup: Chris Martin
Keep an eye on: Josh Winckowski
CHICAGO CUBS
Co-closers: Mark Leiter Jr., Adbert Alzolay
Primary setup: Michael Fulmer
June 1: Alzolay converted a two-inning save on May 30, a game in which Leiter set him up, and Leiter blew a seventh-inning lead the following day to cast some question upon his role in the bullpen. It appears that these two are in a split of the closer chores.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Closer: Liam Hendriks
Primary setup: Kendall Graveman
Keep an eye on: Joe Kelly
May 30: The White Sox activated Hendriks from the injured list on May 29, and immediately used him during the eighth inning of that night's game. He'll presumably reclaim the team's full-time closer role, though he might not be able to pitch on consecutive days initially as he works up to full speed following his recovery from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Graveman had four of the team's previous five saves before Hendriks' return, so he'll likely serve as the primary setup man and closer on nights Hendriks is unavailable. Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer could also be involved in the late innings.
CINCINNATI REDS
Closer: Alexis Diaz
Primary setup: Buck Farmer
Keep an eye on: Ian Gibaut
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Closer: Emmanuel Clase
Primary setup: James Karinchak
Keep an eye on: Trevor Stephan
COLORADO ROCKIES
Closer: Pierce Johnson
Primary setup: Justin Lawrence
Keep an eye on: Daniel Bard
DETROIT TIGERS
Closer: Alex Lange
Primary setup: Jason Foley
Keep an eye on: Jose Cisnero
HOUSTON ASTROS
Closer: Ryan Pressly
Primary setup: Bryan Abreu
Keep an eye on: Hector Neris
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Closer: Scott Barlow
Primary setup: Aroldis Chapman
Keep an eye on: Taylor Clarke
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Closer: Carlos Estevez
Primary setup: Chris Devenski
Keep an eye on: Ben Joyce
May 30: Estevez is firmly locked into the Angels' full-time closer role, but keep tabs on the usage of Joyce, the 100-plus-mph-throwing reliever who was summoned when the team placed Matt Moore (oblique) on the 15-day injured list on May 28. Joyce could quickly work his way into the late-inning picture.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Closer-by-committee: Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Caleb Ferguson
May 30: Though Phillips seems to have a slight leg up in the competition for saves in Los Angeles, manager Dave Roberts also appears to trust both Graterol and Ferguson with save chances when the matchups call for it.
MIAMI MARLINS
Closer: Dylan Floro
Primary setup: Tanner Scott
Keep an eye on: Huascar Brazoban
May 30: Though the Marlins occasionally use Scott, Brazoban and J.T. Chargois in late-and-close situations, Floro nevertheless has four of the team's five saves, as well as a win when he worked the ninth inning of the team's May 27 10-inning victory.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Closer: Devin Williams
Primary setup: Peter Strzelecki
Keep an eye on: Joel Payamps
MINNESOTA TWINS
Closer: Jhoan Duran
Primary setup: Jorge Lopez
Keep an eye on: Brock Stewart
NEW YORK METS
Co-closers: David Robertson, Adam Ottavino
Primary setup: Drew Smith
NEW YORK YANKEES
Closer-by-committee: Clay Holmes, Michael King, Wandy Peralta
May 30: The Yankees have shifted to a full-fledged closer-by-committee, with five different relievers recording each of their past five saves (between May 15 and 21). Holmes, King and Peralta are the three most likely candidates to handle the ninth inning on any given night, though Ron Marinaccio and/or Albert Abreu could also be involved if the matchup is right.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Closer-by-committee: Trevor May, Richard Lovelady, Sam Moll, Shintaro Fujinami
May 30: Maybe the Athetics' twist on the question is, "If a closer fails in the forest, does he make a sound?" Winners of only three of their past 22 games (May 7-29), the Athletics' closer picture is minimally relevant to fantasy managers, and that they've rotated relievers on and off the roster while scarcely offering up save chances makes the identity of their closer challenging (to say the least) each night. May might be the most logical choice thanks to his experience, but most anyone from the roster could get the ball.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Closer: Craig Kimbrel
Primary setup: Gregory Soto
Keep an eye on: Seranthony Dominguez
May 30: Kimbrel has each of the Phillies' past three successful saves, as well as a win in the team's May 24 extra-inning victory during that same time span, signaling that he has emerged as manager Rob Thomson's go-to guy in the ninth inning.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Closer: David Bednar
Primary setup: Colin Holderman
Keep an eye on: Dauri Moreta
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Co-closers: Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos
Primary setup: Genesis Cabrera
May 30: Gallegos has five of the Cardinals' past seven successful save conversions, while Helsley is 2-of-3 converting his save chances with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances during that same time span. It appears that manager Oliver Marmol has shifted to a co-closership between the two.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Closer: Josh Hader
Primary setup: Nick Martinez
Keep an eye on: Steven Wilson
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Closer: Camilo Doval
Primary setup: Tyler Rogers
Keep an eye on: John Brebbia
SEATTLE MARINERS
Closer: Paul Sewald
Primary setup: Justin Topa
Keep an eye on: Trevor Gott
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Closer: Jason Adam
Primary setup: Colin Poche
Keep an eye on: Kevin Kelly
May 30: A day after he injured his hip while warming up during the Rays' 11-10 victory on May 28, Pete Fairbanks landed on the 15-day injured list. The Rays will presumably use Adam to close during Fairbanks' absence, just as they did while Fairbanks was sidelined from April 30-May 14. While the Rays have used more of a closer-by-committee approach in recent years, Fairbanks has five saves and Adam another six during Fairbanks IL stints, among the team's 16 total saves in 2023. Manager Kevin Cash seems to be leaning more on an individual closer this year.
TEXAS RANGERS
Closer: Will Smith
Primary setup: Brock Burke
Keep an eye on: Jose Leclerc
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Closer: Jordan Romano
Primary setup: Erik Swanson
Keep an eye on: Yimi Garcia
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Closer: Kyle Finnegan
Primary setup: Hunter Harvey
Keep an eye on: Carl Edwards Jr.
KEY: "Closer" is either that team's officially designated closer, or the pitcher most likely to get the team's next save chance. Teams can be listed with "Co-closers" or "Closer-by-committee." "Primary setup" is the pitcher next-most likely to take over if something happens to the closer, the top holds-getter and the one who might get any save chances on the closer's nights off. "Keep an eye on" is another reliever who could provide a decent number of holds or eventually graduate into the closer role. Notes beneath each team's depth chart, which have date stamps, provide detail on teams' closer situations that might have an unusual wrinkle, like an injury to the typical closer requiring a short term fill-in, or to explain closer partnerships.