Sean Doolittle Feels OK After Bullpen

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (foot) said he just "felt OK" and not great during his last bullpen session. There remains no timetable for Doolittle's return, although he should be able to make it back sometime next month. The left-hander was one of the best closers in baseball before his injury, so he should return […]

Buck Farmer Starting Sunday

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Buck Farmer will make the start on Sunday against the Twins. The left-hander has appeared in 52 games for the Tigers this year, but all 52 outings came out of the bullpen. That means this is a bullpen game for the Tigers, and Farmer is unlikely to go more than a […]

The Cut List (Week 21): Time to Let Go?

Welcome to Week 21 of the Cut List. Last week we saw Jon Lester and Jed Lowrie bounce back after enduring major slumps in July. Those weren’t the best calls I’ve made this year, to say the least. This week I’m taking a look at Brian Anderson, Kyle Schwarber, Sean Newcomb, and Chris Taylor. All […]

Corey Oswalt Moving To Bullpen

New York Mets pitcher Corey Oswalt is being moved to the bullpen. Oswalt wasn't much of a fantasy option during his time in the rotation. He went 2-2 with a 5.31 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and weak 5.3 K/9 in eight starts. If you were using him in a deep NL-only league, you can now safely […]

Joakim Soria To Throw Bullpen Sunday

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Joakim Soria (groin) is making progress from his groin strain and threw off flat ground Friday, according to manager Craig Counsell. He will move to a light bullpen session on Sunday. The veteran reliever won't be ready to come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Monday, but he is […]

Brandon Morrow Throws Bullpen Saturday

Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow (biceps) threw 25 pitches off a mound on Saturday and said he hasn't lost strength in his arm. He is categorizing his injury as a "bone bruise" and "stress reaction." The right-hander is likely to need two to three more bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. That means […]

Kelvin Herrera Could Return Early Next Week

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera (shoulder) could return from the disabled list on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week after throwing a 15-pitch simulated game on Saturday. Manager Dave Martinez was impressed with Herrera. With closer Sean Doolittle and veteran reliever Ryan Madson injured, Herrera could return to the ninth-inning duties over Koda Glover […]

Kelvin Herrera Tosses Simulated Game on Saturday

Washington Nationals reliever Kelvin Herrera (shoulder) threw a successful simulated game on Saturday as part of his rehab. Since it went so well, it seems like there is a chance that Herrera could return sometime next week. Ryan Madson (back) and Sean Doolittle (foot) are currently out of commission, so Herrera should conceivably see some […]

Jhan Marinez Set to Begin Rehab Assignment on Monday

Baltimore Orioles reliever Jhan Marinez (hamstring) is set to start a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League on Monday. Marinez has a 5.63 ERA across eight innings with the Orioles this season. He has had some decent relief seasons in the past, but he has no fantasy value whatsoever anymore.

Harrison Musgrave Demoted Back To Triple-A

Colorado Rockies pitcher Harrison Musgrave was sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque in the corresponding move to allow the team to activate Scott Oberg from the paternity list. Musgrave has been quite ineffective at the big league level this season, posting a 5.08 ERA with a 6.15 K/9 and 4.54 BB/9. Musgrave has worked as a […]

Scott Oberg Returns To Rockies

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Scott Oberg returned to the team on Friday night after missing three days to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Oberg has been one of the more dependable members of the Rockies bullpen as of late, though he did have a hiccough against the Dodgers. Since […]

Mike Dunn Throws Simulated Game

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Mike Dunn is making his way back from the disabled list once again. Dunn has been sidelined since early July with an inflamed AC joint, his second DL-worthy injury of the season. Dunn is slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week, but he probably won't sniff the big […]

Hunter Strickland Activated From Disabled List

San Francisco Giants reliever Hunter Strickland (hand) has been activated off of the 60-day disabled list. Strickland was recovering from a fractured right hand. Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) was put on the 60-day disabled list to accommodate Strickland's return. Will Smith has been fantastic in the closer role, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy has said that Smith has […]

David Robertson Records Save Against Toronto

The New York Yankees sent out reliever David Robertson to pitch the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night. The game would ultimately end after seven, with rain causing the abbreviated affair. The 33-year-old Robertson, who served as the closer of the Chicago White Sox during his stint there, picked up his third […]

Pat Neshek Picks Up Third Save

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Pat Neshek picked up his third save of the season Friday night against the New York Mets. With Seranthony Dominguez having the night off, the veteran reliever was summoned to close out the ninth after another fantastic performance from Aaron Nola. Neshek would allow one hit but ultimately close out the game, […]

Kenley Jansen Says He Feels Great

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (heart) threw again on Friday and said he felt "great." He's hoping to be cleared to pitch on Monday. The Dodgers and fantasy owners desperately want Jansen back. The LA bullpen has struggled in his absence, most notably Scott Alexander in the ninth inning. Until Jansen returns, pitcher Kenta […]

Steven Wright Close To Rehab Assignment

Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright (knee) has already thrown a few bullpen sessions and could be nearing a rehab assignment. He went on the 10-day disabled list on June 26 after having a cartilage restoration procedure on his left knee last May. When the knuckleballer does return, it'll be in a relief role. He […]

Jerry Blevins A Trade Option

The New York Mets have spoken with several teams regarding relief pitcher Jerry Blevins, who hasn't allowed a run with a .301 opponent's OPS in his last 11 outings. However, nothing appears to be imminent. The Dodgers come to mind as a team that could use some relief help without closer Kenley Jansen (heart). Blevins, […]

Hunter Strickland To Come Off DL Saturday

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (hand) will come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Saturday. With Will Smith filling in so well in the closer's role in Strickland's absence, there's a good chance that Strickland will return to a setup role. That's not good for his fantasy value, but there's also […]

Blake Parker (RP, LAA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Blake Parker appears to be the man to own for saves in Los Angels for the remainder of the season. He has held off Cam Bedrosian, Kenyan Middleton, and Jim Johnson for saves throughout the season and […]

Trevor Cahill (RP/SP, OAK) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Trevor Cahill is having a very solid year in 2018, bouncing back from a rough 2017 season in which he finished with a 4.93 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and an eye-popping 1.71 HR/9.  The 30-year-old had a rough close to 2017, […]

Jose Leclerc (RP, TEX) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS:  Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc appears to be making the most of a change to the closer's role. With both Keone Kela and Jake Diekman shipped off to contenders at the non-waiver trade deadline, Leclerc has seen his fantasy value sky rocket. The […]

Brandon Maurer Still Has Value?

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Brandon Maurer has been on quite the run recently. After throwing a shutout inning against the Blue Jays on Thursday, Maurer has now thrown clean innings in seven of his last eight appearances. Dating back to July 28, Maurer has eight innings pitched while only allowing five hits and one […]

Glenn Sparkman Serviceable In First Start

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Glenn Sparkman got his chance on Thursday, and he looked fine over the course of the four innings he pitched. Sparkman allowed two earned runs and struck out three while facing 17 batters, but he wasn't given credit for the team's win since he didn't go five innings. There's nothing […]

Wade Davis Locks Down 33rd Save

Colorado Rockies closer Wade Davis has been nothing if not exciting this season, but he continued to steam towards an overall successful season by racking up his 33rd save of the year on Thursday. Davis has been a roller coaster in 2018, regularly mixing meltdowns in with his successful saves, but in the long run, […]

Seung Hwan Oh Vultures Win In Atlanta

Colorado Rockies reliever Seung Hwan Oh has gotten back into his groove, and Thursday's scoreless eighth inning ended up landing him a surprise win. Oh relieved starter Jon Gray with the Rockies trailing 3-2, and he shut down the top of the dangerous Braves order to keep the game where he inherited it. Colorado then […]

Holds Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds for Week 21

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 21. One-inning middle relievers are the constant sources for holds and specialists can manage to secure a hold even with one out. However, while specialists can get many […]

Week 21 MLB Closers and Saves Report

The buzz around preseason football means we are making our way closer and closer to fantasy baseball playoffs! While parity can be an issue in some fantasy leagues, once you make the playoffs, you're facing off against some pretty solid owners. We're sure you loyal Rotoballer readers are well on your way to another playoff […]

Week 21 Waiver Wire: H2H Category Streamers

I like to consider myself a pioneer of the streaming approach. I won a league about seven years ago by completely ignoring saves and just stacking up the starts each week. While streaming is undoubtedly more directly associated with pitching, there's plenty of value in streaming for offense as well. Maybe you have a stacked […]

Adam Kolarek With First Save Thursday Versus The Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Adam Kolarek earned his first save of his career Thursday versus the Yankees. He came into a jam as the bases were loaded with no one out in the ninth inning. He would record three straight outs without allowing any runs to earn his career milestone. Kolarek is a rookie pitcher […]