X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Closers and Saves Bullpen Report for Fantasy Baseball - Mid-March Edition

Devin Williams - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Relief Pitchers, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News Updates

Fantasy baseball closers, saves, and bullpen report for spring training (mid-March updates). David's relief pitcher and bullpen updates, and closers to draft.

Another week of training in the spring, another week of bullpen news, rumors, and injuries. While things will certainly ramp up as we approach Opening Day, this was anything but a quiet week in bullpens across the league. Before we jump into news and notes, be sure to take a look at our bullpen-by-bullpen break down for the American League and the National League.

This week saw one of the top fantasy closers go down with a serious injury. It saw an update on another injured, potentially top-tier fantasy closer, and it saw a small part of a big trade that could make some noise in a team's bullpen. Let's take a look at all of that, and some more!

Be sure to also keep an eye on our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated daily or sometimes even more often throughout the 2024 baseball season. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Bullpen and Closer News

Devin Williams has been one of the best closers in both fantasy and real-life baseball since he took over the role. His "airbender" is one of the most gif-ed pitches in baseball and has led him to 77 saves + holds in the past two years, along with two straight seasons of ERAs under 2.00 and strikeout rates over 37%.

This week, though? Bad news for Williams, who was diagnosed with two stress fractures in his back. The injury will shut him down for at least three months, including a six-week shutdown followed by six weeks of rehab. In the meantime, the Brewers do have some solid late-inning options who should see the ninth inning with a lead.

Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Joel Payamps figure to fight it out either for the closer's role outright, or at least for the head-of-committee role. All three were impressive last season, with Megill striking out 28 and walking just five in his final 17 innings of the season. Uribe was a rookie last year, and finished with 27 scoreless appearances out of his 32. Finally, Payamps was second in the league with 28 holds and showed he can handle the high-leverage situations.

Risers: Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Joel Payamps
Fallers: Devin Williams

 

Pittsburgh Pirates - Bullpen and Closer News

Another top-tier real life and fantasy closer is Pittsburgh Pirates righty David Bednar. Bednar's injury seems much less serious than what's going on with Williams on the Brewers, but there's still some uncertainly in Pittsburgh right now. Bednar is dealing with a lat injury that has kept him from pitching in spring training so far, but he's reportedly throwing from 120 feet and is scheduled to throw off a mound "soon," according to the team.

There's no timeline for his return to game action just yet, but as long as things go well, he may be good to go soon after Opening Day.

Assuming he does miss some time, though, the Pirates would likely turn to the guy who is currently third in baseball in saves among active pitchers: Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has certainly done this before and would be a solid option for whatever amount of time Bednar misses. It would be Bednar's job as soon as he's healthy, though.

Risers: Aroldis Chapman
Fallers: David Bednar (temporary) 

 

Short Relief - Other Bullpen News and Notes

-The Dylan Cease trade shook up more than just the Padres rotation. Heading back to the White Sox is Steven Wilson, who had 22 holds and solid peripherals in his 53 innings last year. John Brebbia still figures to take the ninth, but Wilson and rookie Jordan Leasure will be around as well.

-Mason Miller seems to be "lining up" as the closer in Oakland. They won't win many games, but sometimes really good fantasy closers come from really bad real-life teams, and Miller has that kind of upside. His role hasn't been made official just yet, though.

-The Rockies' closer competition continues to heat up as Opening Day approaches. Tyler Kinley and Justin Lawrence both keep pitching well, with Kinley totaling five scoreless Cactus League innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. Lawrence has thrown six innings, allowing three runs but striking out nine and only walking one.

-Trevor Stephan, set for one of the top setup roles in the Cleveland bullpen, will be forced to miss extended time to start the season as he is scheduled to undergo right elbow surgery in the next few weeks. That'll leave Scott Barlow and Nick Sandlin to work ahead of Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Terry McLaurin

Requests a Trade
Josh Allen

Justin Herbert Wants to Run More This Season?
Shelby Miller

Brewers Acquire Shelby Miller
José Caballero

Jose Caballero Shipped to the Bronx
Bailey Falter

Traded to Royals
Andy Isabella

Signs with San Francisco
Charlie Morton

Headed to Detroit
Camilo Doval

Yankees Acquire Camilo Doval
Trey Palmer

Dealing with Hamstring Injury
Griffin Jax

Traded to Tampa Bay
Connor McDavid

Oilers Hope to Finalize Connor McDavid's Contract Extension Soon
Jordan James

Misses Practice With "Knee Issues"
Willi Castro

Joining Cubs
BUF

Devon Levi Re-Signs With Sabres for Two Years
Merrill Kelly

Rangers to Acquire Merrill Kelly
Martin Pospisil

Signs Three-Year Extension
Braelon Allen

Dealing With Knee Soreness
Miles Sanders

Misses Practice With Slight Knee Bruise
Jaydon Blue

Continues to Impress
Ramón Laureano

Ramon Laureano Heading to San Diego
Cam Skattebo

Out With Undisclosed Injury
Ryan O'Hearn

Padres Acquire Ryan O'Hearn From Orioles
Jesús Sánchez

Jesus Sanchez Traded to the Astros
Carlos Correa

Astros Acquire Carlos Correa From the Twins
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Sitting Out of Thursday's Practice
Andrei Iosivas

"Dazzling" at Training Camp
Cedric Mullins

Mets Acquiring Cedric Mullins
Jauan Jennings

Sidelined for Third Straight Day
Jonathan Aranda

Exits Thursday With Apparent Wrist Injury
Tyler Johnson

Showing Out at Jets Camp
Mason Taylor

the Clear TE1 for Jets
Jakobi Meyers

to Sign Contract Extension this Offseason?
Andy Isabella

Marquez Callaway Sign With San Francisco
David Bednar

Yankees to Acquire David Bednar
Ameer Abdullah

49ers Sign Ameer Abdullah
Quinnen Williams

Leaves Practice with Calf Injury
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Exits After Hit by Pitch Against Yankees
Juwan Johnson

Returns to Practice in Limited Capacity
Dawson Knox

Returns to Bills Practice
Chandler Simpson

Leaves Early With Injury on Thursday
Dontayvion Wicks

Savion Williams Return to Packers Practice
Luis Robert Jr.

More Likely to Stay With White Sox
Brock Stewart

Gets Traded to the Dodgers
Luis Gil

Set to Make 2025 Debut on Sunday
Harrison Bader

Gets Dealt to the Phillies
Dario Šarić

Dario Saric Hoping to Have Meaningful Role with Kings
Donte DiVincenzo

to Skip EuroBasket Due to Injury
Ayo Dosunmu

Set to Remain in Chicago
Malevy Leons

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Thunder
Daeqwon Plowden

Kings Pick Up Daeqwon Plowden on Two-Way Deal
Bryce McGowens

Signs Two-Way Deal with Pelicans
Jonathan Kuminga

Declines Latest Offers from Golden State
Gary Woodland

Eyeing Strong Finish to Reach Playoffs
Max McGreevy

Chasing a Miracle at Wyndham
Stephan Jaeger

a Solid Value Play at Wyndham Championship
Max Homa

Fighting to Salvage Disappointing Season
Nicolai Hojgaard

a Sleeper at Wyndham Championship
Rickie Fowler

Riding Quiet Momentum Into Wyndham
Brian Campbell

a Wild Card at Wyndham Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai

Finishes Tied For 34th at Open Championship
Andrew Novak

Finishes Tied For 63rd at Open Championship
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 16th at Open Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Wins 3M Open
Tom Kim

Finishes Tied For 28th at 3M Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Misses Cut at 3M Open
Max Greyserman

Misses Cut at 3M Open
Jordan Spieth

Looks to End Regular Season on a High Note at Wyndham Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Tied For Fourth at Open Championship
Eric Cole

Misses Cut at 3M Open
Keith Mitchell

Needs a Big Week at Wyndham Championship
Robert MacIntyre

is the Perfect Kind of Ball-Striker for Wyndham Championship
Charlie McAvoy

Ready to Go for Next Season
Dylan Samberg

Agrees to Three-Year Contract with Jets
Michael Kim

Needs More Solid Finishes
NBA

Thanasis Antetokounmpo Added to Greece Training Camp Roster for EuroBasket 2025
Los Angeles Clippers

Patrick Baldwin Jr. Waived by Clippers
Josh Green

May Not be Ready for Start of Hornets Training Camp
NBA

Thomas Bryant Set to Move to Greece
Cam Thomas

Nets Far Apart in Contract Talks
Kristaps Porzingis

Feeling "Great" Ahead of New Season
Chris Paul

Hints He Could Extend His Career Beyond the 2025-26 Season
Brandon Miller

Close to 100 Percent
Jayden Struble

Canadiens Lock Up Jayden Struble for Two Years
Robert Whittaker

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Reinier de Ridder

Gets Split-Decision Win
Conor Timmins

Avoids Salary Arbitration with Two-Year Deal
Marcus McGhee

Drops Decision At UFC Abu Dhabi
Toronto Raptors

Colin Castleton Waived by Raptors on Monday
Petr Yan

Extends Win Streak
Marc-Andre Barriault

Suffers Decision Loss
Shara Magomedov

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jose Ochoa

Dominated At UFC Abu Dhabi
MMA

Asu Almbayev Dominates At UFC Abu Dhabi
Nikita Krylov

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Bogdan Guskov

Scores Knockout Win
Kyle Larson

Falls Short of Back-To-Back Victories at Indianapolis
Denny Hamlin

Rallies Into Third Place At Indianapolis
Chase Briscoe

Pit Strategies End up Failing Chase Briscoe at Indianapolis
Ty Gibbs

Wins NASCAR's Inaugural In-Season Challenge Tournament
Ryan Preece

Finishes Fourth but Loses Ground to Playoff Cutline
Brad Keselowski

Has Good Strategy, but Not Enough to Win
Ryan Blaney

Bails from Hail Mary Strategy Attempt but Recovers to Finish Seventh
Tyler Reddick

Eliminated from Brickyard 400 in Crash After Top Five Run
Chicago Bulls

Billy Donovan Agrees to Contract Extension with Chicago
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Indianapolis This Week?
Carson Hocevar

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Indianapolis DFS Lineups?
NASCAR

Could A.J. Allmendinger be A Solid Tournament DFS Option?
Zane Smith

Is a Respectable Value Option for Indianapolis Despite Low Experience
Cole Custer

Is A Solid Value Option for Indianapolis DFS Lineups
Riley Herbst

Is an Unfavorable DFS Option for Indianapolis Lineups
Zeev Buium

Aims for Big Role Next Season
NHL

Conor Sheary Signs Tryout Deal with Rangers
Denny Hamlin

an Easy DFS Target After Wreck in Qualifying
Arvid Soderblom

Agrees to Two-Year Deal with Blackhawks
Kyle Larson

Will Start 13th to Defend Brickyard 400 Crown
Chase Briscoe

on Pole for Brickyard as Momentum Continues to Build
Ryan Blaney

Learned a Lot in Practice at Indianapolis
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Very Strong at Indianapolis
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Challenge for a Brickyard 400 Win on Sunday?
Ryan Preece

Don't Forget About Ryan Preece at Indianapolis
Philadelphia 76ers

Ricky Council IV Waived by Philadelphia
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors "Haven't Gained Any Traction" on Sign-and-Trade Deal for Jonathan Kuminga
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF