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Andres Munoz Ready to Go on Tuesday
Seattle Mariners right-handed closer Andres Munoz (back) is fine and good to go for Tuesday's series opener at T-Mobile Park versus the Baltimore Orioles, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. The Mariners pulled Munoz from his outing on Sunday against the Washington Nationals with back tightness, but after a scheduled day off on Monday, he's ready to go for the series opener in Seattle on Tuesday. The 27-year-old Mexican reliever has had his fair share of struggles in 2026 in his seventh year in the big leagues after back-to-back All-Star campaigns, but he's presently in no real danger of being demoted from the closer's role by manager Dan Wilson. In his 27 appearances out of the bullpen, Munoz is 3-4 with a career-worst 5.92 ERA (3.68 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, 10 saves, and a 37:11 K:BB in 24 1/3 innings pitched. He will have a long leash after saving a career-high 38 games for the M's in 2025. Fantasy managers speculating on saves and stashing setup men should have their eyes on lefty Jose A. Ferrer if Munoz continues to struggle or goes down with an injury.
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Andres Munoz Exits Early on Sunday With Back Tightness
Seattle Mariners right-handed closer Andres Munoz (back) was pulled from Sunday's game early against the Washington Nationals with lower-back tightness, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. The Mariners wanted Munoz to get some work in a 7-1 ballgame since he hadn't pitched in almost a week, and he exited after allowing both of the runners he faced to reach base. It's unclear how serious Munoz's back injury is, but for now, we'll consider him day-to-day. The 27-year-old Mexican hurler is a two-time All-Star and has 88 saves in his career, but he hasn't been consistent in 2026 and is now injured. Going into Sunday's appearance, Munoz had a career-worst 5.18 ERA (3.56 FIP), 1.36 WHIP, 10 saves, 37 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 24 1/3 innings pitched. Nobody should be outright dropping Munoz, even if he lands on the injured list, but Jose A. Ferrer is certainly a speculative stash candidate in case Munoz misses extended time.
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Jose A. Ferrer a Top Closer Handcuff?
With Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz not living up to his lofty expectations so far in 2026, left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer is gaining some steam as one of the top handcuff relievers in baseball. The 26-year-old Dominican southpaw did blow a save chance on Tuesday at Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while striking out one, but he also backed into his first win of the season. Despite his hiccup earlier this week, Ferrer has been solid in late-inning, high-leverage situations for Seattle in 2026 and is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA (3.24 FIP), 1.33 WHIP, three saves, 26 strikeouts, and only seven walks in his 30 innings out of the bullpen. He has allowed a run in only five of his 33 outings for the M's in his fourth year in the majors (first in Seattle), and if Munoz continues to struggle, don't be surprised if Ferrer is given more save opportunities by manager Dan Wilson. Ferrer's 19.7% strikeout rate isn't ideal, but he's also walking just 5.3% of the batters he faces. Fantasy managers looking for a closer handcuff should look no further than Ferrer, who is rostered in only 7% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Andres Munoz Bounces Back for Save No. 10
Seattle Mariners right-handed closer Andres Munoz has not had the kind of year so far that he was hoping for, and after blowing three of his last four save chances, fantasy managers have been wondering whether he's on the verge of a bullpen demotion. After blowing his fifth save of the year and losing his fourth game in Sunday's 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, Munoz bounced back the very next day with his 10th save of the season in Monday's 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The 27-year-old Mexican hurler didn't allow a hit or a run in his inning of work while walking one and striking out two. It wasn't exactly easy, as he needed 20 pitches to close things out, but it's a step in the right direction after his recent rough patch. Munoz now has a 5.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 37:10 K:BB in 24 1/3 innings pitched. He's been a bit unlucky this year, and it doesn't appear that manager Dan Wilson is ready to go in another direction just yet.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Andres Munoz Blows Fifth Save, is it Time to Panic?
Seattle Mariners right-handed closer Andres Munoz blew his fifth save of the season and was handed his fourth loss on Sunday when he allowed two earned runs on one hit while walking two in the 5-4 loss in Detroit to the Tigers in two-thirds of an inning. The 27-year-old Mexican reliever has not been himself this year and is now 3-4 in 2026 with a 5.40 ERA (3.62 FIP), a 1.37 WHIP, nine saves, 35 strikeouts, and nine walks in 23 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen. The two-time All-Star (in 2024 and 2025) has struggled recently, allowing four earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out five. In that span, he has one loss, one save, and three blown saves. Fantasy managers who have Munoz on their rosters should be worried. If he continues to struggle in the ninth-inning role for the M's, he could be demoted in favor of either Matt Brash or Jose A. Ferrer. The silver lining is that Munoz's underlying metrics show that he's been a bit unlucky, and he still has an elite 33.7% strikeout rate.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Andres Munoz Blows Fourth Save as Struggles Persist, Will he Lose Further Opportunities?
Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz ran into trouble again on Friday, blowing his fourth save of the season before the Mariners ultimately defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in extra innings. Munoz is now just 9-for-13 in save opportunities and has struggled to lock down games consistently as June approaches. The 27-year-old entered the season as one of the American League's premier closers, but he currently owns a 4.98 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. A decline in four-seam fastball usage may be contributing to his struggles. Munoz has thrown the pitch 25.2 percent of the time this season after using it 35 percent of the time in 2025, and the pitch carries a minus-three run value. The talent remains evident, but fantasy managers should monitor the situation closely as his grip on save opportunities becomes less secure. If Munoz continues to struggle, the Mariners could turn to Jose A. Ferrer or Matt Brash for save opportunities.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Bryce Miller Demoted to Bullpen Role for Monday's Game
Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo is set to start Monday's game against the Athletics. Bryce Miller will come out of the bullpen and follow in the piggyback role. Castillo has struggled this season, posting a 6.41 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts across 46 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old struggled in his only relief appearance, taking the loss, while allowing two runs on a hit, two walks, and a HBP while striking out four over 2 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. It's unclear how many innings Castillo will throw on Monday, but Miller has pitched well since returning from the injured list on May 13. The 27-year-old owns a 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, a 22.7K%, and a 4.5 BB% through 11 innings. Even though Miller is coming out of the bullpen, he's still worth holding onto in deep league formats, but can likely be dropped in 10-12-team leagues until he solidifies a spot in Seattle's rotation.
Source: Ryan Divish
Source: Ryan Divish
Jose A. Ferrer Grabs Third Save, Seeing Value Increase in Deeper Leagues?
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Jose A. Ferrer struck out the side in the ninth inning on Wednesday to close out his team's 5-4 win over the White Sox. He allowed a home run to Randal Grichuk to lead off the inning before fanning Munetaka Murakami, Derek Hill, and Colson Montgomery to end the game. Ferrer has allowed five earned runs in his 23 2/3 innings this season for a 1.90 ERA and 2.56 FIP to go with his 22 strikeouts. The young lefty has established himself as one of the team's top setup options in front of Andres Munoz, who pitched on both Monday and Tuesday. Ferrer also pitched in both those contests but needed only four pitches Tuesday before giving the ball to Munoz, who was charged with a blown save. While Munoz is one of the top closers in the game and will likely get a long leash, Ferrer is a very effective setup option who can step in and close if needed. In deep leagues where setup men have value, Ferrer is definitely one of the better widely available options to consider from the waiver wire.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
