Fantasy baseball bullpen report featuring Tanner Scott and Aroldis Chapman

It’s only been a week, but it feels much longer, with the high-leverage ecosystem remaining in constant flux.

Edwin Díaz returned from his elbow procedure hoping to cement his role with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but things didn’t progress as planned. After he allowed three earned runs in Monday’s non-save appearance in Colorado, he was placed back on the injured list. His last four-seam fastball in that outing was only 93 mph. His MRI was clean, but when he returns and what his eventual role will be are the lingering questions. In the interim, Tanner Scott will fill in capably. He’s converted 18-of-20 save chances through his first 55 appearances this season, recording a 0.92 WHIP with a 26.4 K-BB percentage.

Also notable from a rehab standpoint, the Chicago Cubs will activate Daniel Palencia on Friday without a defined role. Easing a reliever back into high-leverage situations makes sense, but the team’s trust in Jacob Webb may prevent Palencia from being the closer. He can work himself into save chances, but they aren’t guaranteed.

Baltimore’s Félix Bautista will begin his return-to-play rehab assignment in the next few days. Justin Martinez was activated by Arizona and worked around a walk for a scoreless appearance in Boston. He could be used in save situations soon if his command and health cooperate.

This leads into my updated leverage pathways, which aim to provide accurate team approaches for procuring saves despite the multitude of confusing usage patterns throughout the league. Each team will receive one of the following labels:

• Mostly linear: This is a more traditional approach, with a manager preferring one reliever in the seventh inning, another in the eighth, and a closer (when rested) in the ninth. There are shades of gray, but it usually follows a predictable pattern in high-leverage situations.
• Primary save share: The team prefers one reliever as the primary option for saves. However, the player may also be used in matchup-based situations, whether dictated by batter-handedness or batting order, especially in the late innings, providing multiple relievers with save chances each series or week throughout the season.
• Shared saves: Typically, two relievers share save opportunities, often based on handedness, rest or recent usage patterns that keep them fresh. While these situations typically involve a primary and ancillary option, others may be used. Some teams also prefer a matchup-based option, which creates fluid save opportunities.
• Fluid: The manager has not named a closer, and usage patterns regarding the leverage roles remain unclear.

American League leverage pathways

Stock up

Ben Joyce (LAA): He hasn’t allowed a run through his first six appearances and has not allowed a baserunner in his past four, recording a save in each of his past three.

Grant Taylor (CHW): He has 0.00 ERA in August, posting a 0.97 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and three walks (15.9 K-BB%) across 11.1 innings. While his role remains a source of frustration for fantasy managers, he leads the White Sox with three saves in the second half.

Brayan Bello (BOS): Although he’s not a closer, over his past five appearances as a reliever or bulk follower, he has three wins and a save with 13 strikeouts against three walks and a 0.85 WHIP across 17.2 innings.

Closer concerns

Aroldis Chapman (BOS): He has not recorded a save since Aug. 1, but that’s associated with his team. However, in his four outings since, five of the 17 batters faced have reached base (three hits and two walks) while he has given up three runs (two earned) and recorded three strikeouts. Since the All-Star break, he has a 1.15 WHIP, but it’s the 13% walk rate combined with his 3.36 SIERA — the result of only throwing 51.4% of his pitches for strikes (75 strikes in 146 pitches) — that needs to be monitored.

Steven Cruz (KC): In the second half, Cruz leads the Royals in saves with five. He has made 16 appearances, posting a 0.94 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and two walks (14.5 K-BB%). His 3.38 ERA is accompanied by 3.61 SIERA and 3.26 xERA, but his 85.7% contact rate and 8.1 swinging-strike percentage represent pending migration toward the mean.

Save streamers (ancillary saves or shared roles)

• Steven Cruz (KC)
• Bryan Hudson; Jordan Hicks (CHW)

Save stashes

• Cam Sanders; Félix Bautista (BAL)
• Carlos Duran (KC)

National League leverage pathways

Stock up

Mason Montgomery (PIT): He’s amid a nine-game scoreless streak, during which he has two wins and converted three saves while posting a 0.63 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and two walks (46.9 K-BB%) over seven innings.

Tanner Scott (LAD): He’s back into the saves saddle, having converted 18-of-20 save chances this season. He hasn’t allowed a run in seven of eight games in August.

Daniel Duarte (NYM): He’s riding an eight-game scoreless streak in which he has recorded a win, two saves and four holds, while posting a minuscule 0.46 WHIP with seven strikeouts and three walks across 8.2 innings. In deeper formats, there’s value in those ratios with a side of ancillary saves.

Luis Mey (CIN): Since his promotion on Aug. 7, he has turned in six scoreless outings, three requiring more than three outs, resulting in a 0.72 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and two walks (40 K-BB percentage) over 9.2 innings.

Closer concerns

Emilio Pagán (CIN): He’s suffered a hamstring injury and has been battling a hand issue in recent appearances. Despite this, he has converted all nine save opportunities in the second half with a 0.69 WHIP and 28 K-BB percentage. However, his 2.08 ERA is accompanied by a 97.6% strand rate. If the Reds continue to drift in the wild-card standings, he could be shut down or used more sparingly with eyes on 2027.

Clayton Beeter (WSH): He has not done anything wrong, but the team may continue using him in the highest-leveraged moments, not as a closer. Leading the team with five of its six second-half saves makes this a bit shortsighted. But his last save was on Aug. 7, and if he’s not recording them, what value does he really provide from a fantasy perspective? In the second half, he owns a 1.13 WHIP with a 4.8 K-BB percentage and a 4.73 SIERA across 10.2 innings.

Save streamers (ancillary saves or shared roles)

• Mason Montgomery; Luke Weaver (PIT)
• Daniel Duarte (NYM)
• Aaron Ashby (MIL)

Save stashes

• Justin Martinez (ARI)
• Luis Mey (CIN)
• Yovanny Cruz (WSH)

Leaderboards

Saves

Holds

SOLDS

My rankings are a blend of in-season performance and rest-of-season expectations. If you feel strongly about a player, by all means, roster him.

Ratio relievers

*Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios.

• Steven Okert (HOU)
• Brayan Bello (BOS)
• Bradgley Rodriguez (SD)
• Daniel Duarte (NYM)

Statistical Credits: FanGraphs, Baseball-Reference.com, Baseball Savant, BrooksBaseball.net. Check out my work at Reliever Recon and Closer Monkey for daily updates.