Pedro Strop Hopes To Return For Playoffs

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (hamstring) won’t pitch this weekend, but is hopeful to return for the first round of the playoffs. Strop’s return would be big for the Cubs bullpen and it is likely that Strop would return as the team’s closer.

Jeremy Jeffress Earns 14th Save

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress closed out another key game Friday versus Detroit. He would come into a one-run game to start the ninth inning and retire the side to finish off the 6-5 victory. The save would be his 14th this season. Jeffress did not spend the whole season as the closer but […]

Holds Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds for Week 27

Happy end of the baseball season! While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire in Week 27. One-inning middle relievers are the constant sources for holds and specialists can manage to secure a hold even with one out. […]

Edwin Diaz Has 2.16 ERA In September

Seattle Mariners closer Edwin Diaz needs two saves to become second on the all-time single-season list for saves in a season heading into the final games of 2018. Diaz has not had a save since September 17 and currently has 56 for the season. It has been an elite season for the right-hander but unfortunately […]

Kirby Yates Should Secure Padres 2019 Closer Role

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates worked around two walks to collect his 12th save Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants. Handshakes have been rare for the 31-year-old journeyman since he took over for Brad Hand, but Yates has amassed six saves in September. He holds exceptional season numbers with a 2.07 ERA, 0.92 […]

Lance McCullers Jr. Pitches Scoreless Inning In Return

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. pitched a scoreless inning in relief on Wednesday against the Blue Jays. McCullers Jr. has not pitched since August 4 and struck out one hitter in the scoreless frame. McCullers Jr. has made 22 starts this season but it appears the Astros are planning to use him out of […]

Ken Giles Remains Perfect During Save Opportunities In 2018

Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles exacted some revenge on his old team on Wednesday. Giles only needed five pitches to close out a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros. While the right-hander has an unsightly 4.74 ERA on the season, the majority of that damage has come when Giles enters the game in a […]

Craig Kimbrel Allows Four Run In Non-Save Situation

Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel entered the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader down 6-3 in the ninth inning. He only recorded a single out while allowing four runs. His control was wild as he issued three walks. The outing ballooned his 2.21 ERA all the way up to 2.79. Regardless, it has still been […]

Ty Buttrey Being Shut Down

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey (knee) is being shut down for the remainder of the season due to a recurrence of knee bursitis. Buttrey struggled in his last two outings, but he had really proven himself in high-leverage situations for the Angels in his 16 outings, posting a 3.31 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 11.0 […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 26)

It's our final Rookie Report of the 2018 season, and in it we'll take a look at a former first round pick who finally made his major league debut. After being the 31st overall pick in the 2014 draft, Justus Sheffield made his debut with a shutout ninth inning in the Yankees' 10-1 win over […]

Jeremy Jeffress Earns 13th Save

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress closed out a tense game Wednesday versus St Louis. He came into the game with a runner on and two outs in the eighth inning up 2-1. There would be an error that had the tying run rounding third with a valid chance of being safe but the runner […]

Sergio Romo With Rough Outing In Earning 24th Save

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Sergio Romo took a pounding but held on for the save Wednesday versus the Yankees. Romo came in to record the final out of the top of the eighth inning to maintain a 4-3 lead. The Rays would then go out and score four runs in the bottom of the […]

Trevor Rosenthal To Hold Showcase Next Month

Free-agent relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (elbow) announced on Twitter that he will hold a workout for interested teams on Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Irvine, Calif. Rosenthal had a 3.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, career-high 14.3 K/9 and 11 saves for the Cardinals last year before he needed Tommy John surgery in August. If he's fully healthy, […]

Robbie Erlin Makes Bid For 2019 Starting Gig

San Diego Padres starter Robbie Erlin allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants. Erlin surrendered four hits, no walks and fanned four. Having mostly worked out of the bullpen in 2018, Erlin posted a 5.11 ERA in 10 starts since August. With his final appearance in the books, […]

Lou Trivino Dealing With Neck Issue

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin said relief pitcher Lou Trivino (neck) was unavailable due to a neck issue on Tuesday. He received treatment and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Trivino has been a key bullpen piece for the A's all year, but he has struggled of late, likely because of his neck issue. The right-hander […]

Shane Greene Pitches Scoreless Ninth

Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene notched his 32nd save of the year on Tuesday night, shutting the door on the Minnesota Twins as part of a comeback 4-2 Tigers win. He walked one and struck out one in a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning. Greene is now 32-for-38 in save opportunities in 2018 to […]

Week 27 MLB Closers and Saves Report

Well, this is it. The Fantasy Finals! Some leagues are already done, having crowned their champions last week. Others will bring it down to the bitter end, leading right up to the "real" playoffs. Here's hoping you're either still alive or have already been crowned champion. Thanks for coming along for another ride this season […]

Hansel Robles Earns Save for Angels

Los Angeles Angels reliever Hansel Robles earned his first save in an Angels uniform. He threw a scoreless ninth inning, walking one and striking out one. The Angels have been going with Blake Parker (who pitched the eighth inning) and Ty Buttrey in save situations. Robles now has a 3.76 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP […]

Arodys Vizcaino Likely To Be Primary Closer From Here On Out

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaino is likely to be used as the primary closer the rest of the way this year if he's healthy, given A.J. Minter's recent struggles in the bullpen. The Braves would like to see Vizcaino pitch on back-to-back days before the end of the week, but it's not necessary. Vizcaino […]

Jeremy Jeffress Available On Tuesday

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (neck), who was unavailable on Monday, said he can pitch if he's needed on Tuesday. Jeffress has been lights-out this year as an All-Star and should remain the team's primary closing option down the stretch and into the playoffs. Make sure he's in your lineups if you're still playing […]

Charges Against Roberto Osuna Withdrawn

Domestic-assault charges against Houston Astros closer Roberto Osuna were withdrawn on Tuesday, and he's entered into a peace bond for one year. He cannot contact the alleged victim for one year. Osuna served a 75-game suspension earlier this year and was then traded from the Blue Jays to the Astros, where he has taken over […]

NL-Only Waiver Wire Team of the Week: MLB Week 26

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Statcast Pitcher Risers/Fallers - Early 2019 Sleepers and Fades (Week 26)

Welcome back to Rotoballer’s series using Statcast to extrapolate, dig into, and commiserate over data to examine pitching performances. The weekly series utilizes the myriad tools and information provided by Statcast to pinpoint encouraging and worrying trends underneath the hood of headline numbers. Well, we’ve reached the endgame. Week 26 marks the last of the […]

Jeremy Jeffress Unavailable Monday

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (neck) was unavailable to pitch on Monday due to neck spasms. In his absence, Corey Knebel closed out the win and earned the save in a big game against the division-rival Cardinals. Jeffress has been fantastic this year, going 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 12 saves and […]

Pedro Strop Plays Catch Monday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (hamstring) played catch and did agility drills before the game on Monday. "He was pretty upbeat [Sunday] about where he's at," manager Joe Maddon said. Strop could return to the team later this week, but there's no guarantee he'll even pitch in high-leverage situations before the regular season finale […]

AL-Only Waiver Wire Team of the Week: MLB Week 26

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Sergio Romo Saves His 23rd Game Sunday

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Sergio Romo finished off another victory Sunday versus Toronto. He would allow two baserunners but did not allow a run in one inning of work to finish off the 5-2 victory. He would earn his 23rd save of the season, although he has blown eight. Romo also opened five games […]

Pedro Strop Hasn't Thrown Off Mound

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (hamstring) has been playing catch but has yet to throw off a mound. He's been out since Sept. 13 and was optimistic he could return for the final week of the regular season. Despite Strop's optimism, it seems highly unlikely that he'll pitch in the final week of the […]

Framber Valdez Tosses Six Innings Out Of 'Pen

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez came in to replace an injured Charlie Morton on Sunday, pitching six innings of one-run baseball against the Angels. Valdez (4-1) struck out nine batters in relief and could be in line for a start with Morton suffering from shoulder discomfort. Valdez has allowed one run or less in four […]

Yoshihisa Hirano (RP, ARI) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: After having spent eleven seasons as an elite pitcher in Japan, Yoshihisa Hirano is about to finish his first campaign in the MLB at the age of 34 with sensational results. In 64.2 IP this year Hirano boasts a 2.09 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, […]