

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher James McArthur shut down the Chicago White Sox on Sunday to earn his second save in a 5-3 win. McArthur tossed a scoreless ninth, although he did allow a hit and a walk and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. McArthur now has two of the Royals' last three saves, but this is looking like a true committee situation after Chris Stratton got a save last night. Will Smith threw the eighth tonight, but he could also be in line for saves when the situation calls for a lefty. McArthur is probably the best option to roster in fantasy, but he should only be added in deeper leagues where saves are scarce.


Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Pierce Johnson notched his first save of the season on Sunday in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Johnson threw a scoreless ninth, allowing just a hit. Usual closer Raisel Iglesias wasn't available in this one after pitching the previous two days, so Johnson was used to fill in. The 32-year-old appears to be second in line for save chances in Atlanta and should get his fair share of holds as well, making him a good player to have in saves-plus-holds leagues.


Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan threw a scoreless ninth inning to finish off the Philadelphia Phillies in a 3-2 win. Finnegan walked one and struck out one. The 32-year-old had a bad outing in Cincinnati on opening weekend but has recovered nicely, going two-for-two in save chances with no hits allowed since. It appears that the Nats are running with Finnegan as the full-time closer given their bullpen usage, making him a must-roster reliever in any league where saves count.


Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw 65 pitches for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday in what was his first in-game appearance of the season. Verlander struggled, allowing six runs on seven hits in three-plus innings, but that isn't what is important here as he is still building up after experiencing right shoulder issues during spring training. The Astros were optimistic that Verlander would only need to make two rehab starts, and him getting to 65 pitches in this one is a positive sign. He will likely make another start later this week and could join Houston's rotation shortly after that.


Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Kevin Ginkel threw a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Ginkel entered the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead. The 30-year-old retired the side to earn his third save of the season. Ginkel owns a 2.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and nine strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings in 2024. He is Arizona's primary closer, while Paul Sewald (oblique) is sidelined. Sewald recently threw a bullpen session on Saturday as he continues to work his way back from a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Ginkel should see plenty of save chances until Sewald returns from the injured list and should be rostered in league formats.
