Latest fantasy baseball bullpen updates
Liam Hendriks was activated by the White Sox on May, though he's still working up to full speed, meaning Kendall Graveman might still get some save chances in the short term. (June 5)
The Cardinals have shifted to a co-closer arrangement between Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Helsley, in part because both relievers have struggled of late. (June 5)
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)
Team-by-team fantasy baseball bullpens
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Co-closers: Miguel Castro, Andrew Chafin
Primary setup: Scott McGough
June 5: Castro and Chafin continue to work in a co-closer arrangement, though keep an eye on McGough, who has five holds and a 0.59 ERA in his past 11 appearances. This could quickly turn back into a committee picture, especially if Castro has further poor games like his one on June 4 (6 batters faced, 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 home run, 4 runs allowed for a blown save).
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 5: Alzolay converted a two-inning save on May 30, a game in which Leiter set him up, while Leiter had a dominating one-inning save conversion of his own three days later, in a game where Alzolay set him up. It appears that these two are in a split of the closer chores.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Co-closers: Kendall Graveman, Liam Hendriks
Primary setup: Joe Kelly
June 5: Hendriks has worked the eighth, seventh and ninth innings of his three appearances since activation, with his June 3-4 appearances his first on back-to-back days. The White Sox have been easing him back into things, as Graveman handled the ninth inning of the team's June 2 and 3 games, closing the former. Consider this a closer partnership for now, though Hendriks should emerge as the primary option in short time.
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: Justin Lawrence
Primary setup: Pierce Johnson
Keep an eye on: Daniel Bard
June 5: After Johnson allowed runs in 3-of-4 appearances from May 23-June 1, his ERA ballooning to 6.85 in the process, the Rockies turned to Lawrence to close both their June 2 and 3 victories. Lawrence appears to have a grasp on the closer role for now, but keep tabs on Bard, who has pitched well since his return to the injured list and has history in the role.
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: Brock Stewart
Keep an eye on: Jorge Lopez
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
June 5: The Yankees have shifted to a full-fledged closer-by-committee, with each of Holmes, King and Perala having multiple saves since May 1, and four other relievers having one during that same time span.
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: Seranthony Dominguez
Keep an eye on: Gregory Soto
June 5: Kimbrel has each of the Phillies' past four successful save conversions, 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: Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley
Primary setup: Jordan Hicks
June 5: Helsley hasn't made an appearance since blowing his May 28 save chance, while Gallegos is 3-of-4 converting his own save opportunities since Helsley's last successful save. Gallegos' ERA during that time is 13.50, however, so there's some uncertainty to this particular closer picture. Consider the two co-closers for now.
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: Grant Anderson
Keep an eye on: Jose Leclerc
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Closer: Jordan Romano
Primary setup: Erik Swanson
Keep an eye on: Nate Pearson
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.