Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat - AL

July 9, 2010 @ 12:45:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Tim Heaney

Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: AL | NL

Fantasy baseball closer depth charts: AL | NL

In fantasy baseball, the closer position remains volatile. Rarely does every closer hang on to the job for an entire season - injuries, poor performance and managerial decisions can cloud a team's bullpen picture.

Should you be concerned about a struggling stopper? Which relievers are climbing the depth chart? Are any injuries popping up? KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat keeps you informed when you're looking for saves.

Mound meetings

• Mo work, no problems

  The New York Yankees called on Mariano Rivera (knee, oblique) in the ninth yesterday despite reports earlier this week he might take the rest of the week off. Yesterday, it sure looked like Mo didn't need much time off as he sat down the Seattle Mariners with a 1-2-3 inning. You can still speculate on Joba Chamberlain to boost your saves over the weekend in case the Yanks hold Mo out.
• The Baltimore Orioles' Alfredo Simon locked down his 11th save yesterday with a scoreless inning. The appearance should settle some nerves after Simon blew his July 6 save. That outing was also only his second appearance throwing more than one inning.
  Mike Gonzalez is expected to throw today and tomorrow for Double-A Bowie and could return to the 'pen after the break. The O's will stick with Simon, though, instead making the $12 million Gonzo earn his way back to save chances.
• Dan Wheeler worked 1 2/3 innings yesterday (one hit, one K) to secure the Tampa Bay Rays' 5-2 win over the Cleveland LeBro- err, Indians. That made it two victories for Florida over Ohio Thursday night. Expect Rafael Soriano to be back in the closer role soon after his extended rest.
• Kerry Wood might be the only shaky closer leaving Cleveland; multiple teams have expressed interest in him as the trade deadline moves closer. If you aren't already lining up Chris Perez in your league, do so now.
• Working in a ninth-inning tie, Seattle's David Aardsma surrendered two runs on two hits and two walks to the Yankees yesterday to come away with the loss. It was his second loss within a week against New York. He hasn't blown a save in over a month, but his last save chance came June 22.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: AL | NL

Fantasy baseball closer depth charts: AL | NL

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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