Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Ryan Helsley returns, Daniel Palencia sidelined with right elbow inflammation
· Yahoo Sports
In this week's Closer Report, the saves landscape gets one closer back but loses another as Ryan Helsley returns from the injured list. Meanwhile, the Cubs lose Daniel Palencia to the injured list with right elbow inflammation. And the Giants finally settle on a reliever in the ninth inning, naming Caleb Kilian the closer.
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2026 Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
▶ Tier 1
Mason Miller - San Diego Padres
Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Raisel Iglesias- Atlanta Braves
Miller recorded a clean, four-out save against the Orioles on Sunday, striking out three batters. He was then placed on the bereavement/family medical leave list on Monday. Miller could be back on Friday, following Thursday's off day, after the minimum three-day absence.
Smith kept it rolling this week with back-to-back scoreless saves against the Tigers on Friday and Saturday. He's in the middle of his best season yet, working to a 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts over 32 2/3 innings while converting an MLB-leading 23 saves.
Duran tossed a clean frame against the Brewers on Saturday, striking out one batter for his 18th save to go with a 1.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 23 2/3 innings. Setup man Brad Keller was placed on the 15-day injured list this week with right forearm tendinitis. Orion Kerkering likely steps into the eighth-inning role behind Duran and would be next in line for saves.
Chapman struck out two batters in a scoreless inning against the Rangers on Saturday for his 14th save. He keeps rolling, with a 0.44 ERA that marks the lowest among all closers.
Iglesias made one appearance this week, working around a hit and a walk to convert his 14th save against the Mets on Saturday. Didier Fuentes has been working his way up the leverage ladder as the team has opted to keep him in the bullpen this season. He struck out the side in a scoreless seventh inning to record his fourth hold on Saturday.
▶ Tier 2
Louis Varland - Toronto Blue Jays
Bryan Baker - Tampa Bay Rays
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers
Gregory Soto - Pittsburgh Pirates
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Ryan Helsley - Baltimore Orioles
Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks
David Bednar - New York Yankees
In Toronto, Varland pitched a perfect ninth against the Yankees on Friday to convert a save, then took the loss on Saturday, giving up two runs. He bounced back on Tuesday, striking out three with a four-out save, and struck out the side on Wednesday against the Red Sox for his 14th save.
Baker got some work in on Sunday against the Angels, tossing a scoreless ninth inning with a five-run lead. He remains at 18 saves with a 1.91 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings.
Hader picked up three more saves this week, first tossing a pair of scoreless innings to start his season with six scoreless frames. The team avoided using Hader in a back-to-back, with Bryan Abreu picking up a save on Saturday. Following Hader's appearance against the Tigers on Tuesday, he took the mound with a three-run lead on Wednesday and gave up his first run on a solo homer before holding on for his fourth save.
Scott was impressive on the mound this week, starting with a clean, four-out save with three strikeouts against the Pirates on Thursday. He then picked up two more saves against the Rays on Monday and Tuesday. Scott is up to nine saves since taking over closing duties in Edwin Díaz's absence. Díaz has progressed to throwing bullpen sessions as he recovers from his elbow surgery to remove loose bodies.
Soto had a much better week after giving up five runs in his two outings the previous week. He converted a save with a scoreless inning against the Marlins on Saturday, then struck out two to convert his 11th save against the Athletics on Tuesday.
Muñoz was removed from Sunday's game against the Nationals with lower back tightness. After one day off, he returned to the mound on Tuesday and worked around one hit, striking out one batter for his 11th save. Muñoz is no stranger to back issues. He pitched through a minor back strain in early 2024, though he never missed any time. Injury aside, Muñoz continues to fall further down the standings as he struggles to match results with underlying skills.
The Orioles reinstated Helsley from the injured list on Tuesday following his seven-week absence with right elbow inflammation. He's set to resume closing duties in Baltimore. Helsley made his first appearance back on Wednesday, taking the mound in the ninth with a four-run lead against the Mariners. He gave up a pair of solo homers before finishing out the game.
Sewald had a busy week, making four appearances for the Diamondbacks. He locked down three saves, giving him 18 this season to go with a 3.29 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. A.J. Puk suffered a setback in his second rehab outing, prolonging his return from elbow surgery.
Bednar struck out the side on Saturday against the Blue Jays to lock down his 14th save, then pitched a scoreless inning on Sunday in a non-save situation, extending his scoreless streak to eight games. He's worked his ratios down to a 3.64 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 29 2/3 innings.
▶ Tier 3
Jacob Latz - Texas Rangers
Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals
Devin Williams - New York Mets
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Kenley Jansen - Detroit Tigers
Kaleb Kilian - San Francisco Giants
Grant Taylor/Seranthony Domínguez - Chicago White Sox
Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins
Latz needed only 11 pitches to work the final two innings against the Royals last Thursday, falling in line for a win. He then struck out two to complete a four-out save against the Red Sox on Sunday. Latz has been outstanding this season, posting a 1.62 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings.
O'Brien gave up one run in a non-save situation against the Twins on Saturday, then bounced back with a scoreless outing for his 18th save against the Padres on Tuesday. He certainly hasn't been quite as sharp as he was early on, with a 6.19 ERA over 16 innings since the start of May.
Williams appeared in back-to-back games last Thursday and Friday, securing saves against the Cardinals and Braves. He struck out two batters in each outing, including a four-out save against Atlanta. Williams has a 3.14 ERA since the start of May, with four of five runs allowed in one outing against the Marlins on May 24.
Megill struck out three in a non-save situation on Saturday against the Phillies, then collected two more strikeouts in a perfect inning against the Guardians on Tuesday for his ninth save with a 4.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts over 26 innings.
Jansen returned from the injured list following a two-week absence with pelvic inflammation. He made his first appearance on Saturday, striking out two in a non-save situation against the Guardians. The 38-year-old right-hander steps back into the closer role for the Tigers.
We finally get a bit of clarity in San Francisco. After Keaton Winn landed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain and Ryan Walker was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, Kilian was officially named the Giants' closer. While he leads the team in saves with four, seven different relievers have recorded a save for the team as manager Tony Vitello has played the matchup game in the late innings thus far. Kilian has been one of the most effective relievers in the bullpen, posting a 3.06 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts over 32 1/3 innings.
Domínguez worked the only save chance for the White Sox this week. It was the cleanest outing as he gave up one run on two walks and a hit before holding on for his 12th save on Sunday against the Dodgers. Taylor gave up two runs over two innings in that game. Four of his last five outings have been two-inning appearances, so it doesn't seem like the team is ready to give him looks as a traditional closer just yet.
Fairbanks worked a clean inning against the Diamondbacks on Thursday, striking out two for a save. He then gave up a run against the Pirates on Sunday before holding on for his ninth save of the season.
▶ Tier 4
Alex Lange - Kansas City Royals
Clayton Beeter - Washington Nationals
Yoendrys Gómez/Eric Orze - Minnesota Twins
Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar - Chicago Cubs
Lange gave up a run to take a loss against the Astros on Saturday, then bounced back with a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday with a four-run lead, indicating he's still in line to close. Meanwhile, Beeter struck out two in each of his scoreless outings this week, but did not pick up a save.
And we finally have someone emerging in Minnesota as Gómez converted two saves, giving him seven. While his 3.86 ERA has been good enough to get the job done, he's working with an 11% K-BB rate and underlying ERA indicators that suggest he's been quite fortunate.
Palencia struck out the side and picked up a win against the Rockies on Tuesday, but was then placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with right elbow inflammation. It's incredibly disappointing, especially after a good outing. Fantasy managers who have been patiently waiting for Palencia to start collecting some saves will have to wait longer. How long Palencia may be out is still unknown. The Cubs' situation hasn't produced many saves altogether. Still, Thielbar and Webb are the top candidates to work in a committee in Palencia's absence. Webb gave up a run in the ninth inning on Wednesday against the Rockies, but held on to convert the save.
▶ Tier 5
Antonio Senzatela - Colorado Rockies
Tony Santillan - Cincinnati Reds
Kirby Yates - Los Angeles Angels
Elvis Alvarado/Hogan Harris - Athletics