Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel blew his fourth save of the season and took his fifth loss in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to the Brewers. Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the 11th inning with a one-run lead and a ghost runner on second. He allowed a leadoff single, got an out on a strikeout, walked the bases loaded, and allowed a two-run single to end the game. However, manager Dave Roberts said after the game that he still isn't considering a change at closer, per Dodgers beat writer Jack Harris. Kimbrel has been frustrating for fantasy managers once again this season, as he does have 20 saves but also has a 4.57 ERA. It sounds as though his job security is still there, but fantasy managers may consider benching him if they have other options given his recent volatility.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has not been a reliable option throughout most of the season. On Friday, the veteran reliever was asked to take the ball with a three-run lead against the Colorado Rockies. That quickly turned into a one-run lead for the Dodgers, but Kimbrel managed to close the door. He earned his 18th save of the season, but continues to be a shaky option. Fantasy managers in need of saves can hold onto Kimbrel, but he's clearly not in his prime anymore.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel tossed a scoreless ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. The 2022 campaign hasn't gone smoothly for Kimbrel, but he did his job in this one. He allowed a bunt single to Brandon Belt, but retired the rest of the Giants hitters to convert his 16th save of the season. As already mentioned, Kimbrel has struggled at times this season, but he remains an high-end option for fantasy managers in leagues where saves matter on one of the best teams in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said that closer Craig Kimbrel (back) is undergoing a CT scan on Tuesday after X-rays came back negative. Kimbrel was hit by a line drive against the San Diego Padres when he blew a save on Sunday in the series finale. Fantasy managers need to prepare for the possibility that he'll land on the injured list to close out the first half of the season. The 34-year-old does have 14 saves for the first-place Dodgers, but it hasn't been pretty, as he's also sporting a 4.78 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. Yency Almonte picked up the save with Kimbrel unavailable on Monday, but Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol could enter the closing mix if Kimbrel misses more time.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel (back) was hit hard in his back by a line drive off the bat of San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth on Sunday. Kimbrel stated on Monday that his back was sore, but that he thought he'd only need a day or two before being ready to pitch again. The Dodgers are back on the field against the Colorado Rockies on Monday. If a save chance arises on Monday, we're likely to see either Evan Phillips or Brusdar Graterol pitch the ninth. Expect an update on Kimbrel's status ahead of Tuesday's game. He's day-to-day for now.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel locked down his 13th save of the season on Friday night in the 4-1 win over his former team, the Atlanta Braves. Kimbrel allowed one hit and struck out one in his inning of work. Things haven't gone great for the hard-throwing right-hander in his first year as the Dodgers closer, as he has a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings pitched, but he's the closer on one of the best teams in baseball. The 34-year-old has also only blown one save this year and has struck out 35 hitters in his 23 innings of work for LA.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed closer Craig Kimbrel on the paternity list on Tuesday and recalled relief pitcher Phil Bickford from the minors in a corresponding move. Kimbrel is required to miss one to three days while on paternity leave, so fantasy managers will be without him for a short time this week. The 34-year-old right-hander was recently given a short break to work out some mechanical issues, and he's since allowed no earned runs while walking none and striking out four while recording a save in three innings over two outings. He has a 4.00 ERA overall, but he also has 25 strikeouts and 11 saves in 18 innings pitched, making him a highly valuable fantasy closer. Daniel Hudson should see any save chances that come up with Kimbrel out this week.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel earned his 11th save of the year on Thursday as he closed out the team's 2-0 victory over the New York Mets. He pitched a perfect ninth inning, retiring each of the three batters he faced while recording a strikeout. Kimbrel was unavailable for Wednesday's game as he was working on fixing some mechanical issues. He had allowed a total of four earned runs over his previous three appearances. The 34-year-old now has a 4.50 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP on the year.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the team has given closer Craig Kimbrel a couple of days to clean up some of his mechanical issues, and he will not be available on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Roberts said that Kimbrel has been too rotational in his delivery. The good news is that the 34-year-old right-hander will pitch again by Friday, so fantasy managers won't be without him for long. In his last appearance on Monday against Pittsburgh, Kimbrel blew the save while allowing two runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out two. He's allowed runs in each of his last three outings, although he did record one save. On the year, Kimbrel has a 4.80 ERA (2.61 FIP), a 1.40 WHIP, 10 saves and 21 K's in 15 innings. If a save situation arises on Wednesday, expect Daniel Hudson to get the nod in the ninth inning.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel wasn't able to convert on his save opportunity against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Entering in the ninth inning of a game that the Dodgers were leading 5-4, Kimbrel wound up giving up one hit, one walk and two runs (one earned) while striking out two. In addition to the blown save, Kimbrel was also tagged with the loss for the game. The veteran had converted each of his previous 10 save opportunities this year before Monday's outing. He owns a 4.80 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP on the year. Despite those ugly ratios, he still maintains a firm hold on the closer role for the team.

Los Angeles Dodgers picked up a shaky seventh save of the season in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks. Kimbrel entered the game to pitch the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff walk, struck out the next two hitters, allowed the runner to advance to third on selective indifference and a balk, then score on a single, and finally got a strikeout to end the game. Kimbrel has yet to blow a save this season and has a respectable 3.38 ERA, but he has now allowed three earned runs over his last two outings. Kimbrel has not been quite as strong of a fantasy asset over the past few seasons as he had been earlier in his career, but fantasy managers should still trust him at this time.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel earned his fifth save of the year on Tuesday as he closed out the team's 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander got into some trouble in the ninth inning as he allowed a hit and a walk, but he was able to close out the inning without allowing any runs. Kimbrel is now 5-for-5 in save opportunities this year. He has a 1.35 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over 6.2 innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel allowed one earned run on two hits while striking out two to earn the save in Friday's 5-3 win against the Colorado Rockies. He surrendered a double to catcher Elias Diaz and later yielded an RBI double to outfielder Charlie Blackmon. The 33-year-old was able to shake it off and struck out third baseman Kris Bryant to end the game. He was knocked around in spring training, allowed four runs on four hits while striking out one over one-third of an inning in his Dodgers debut. Despite his recent struggles, Kimbrel is the Dodgers primary closer and is a top-five fantasy reliever, and he should continue to rack up the saves for fantasy managers in 2022.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel allowed four runs across one-third of an inning in Saturday's 10-2 exhibition loss to the San Francisco Giants. He surrendered a double and two home runs before exiting. The 33-year-old was confirmed as the team's primary closer after being traded from the Chicago White Sox to Los Angeles for outfielder AJ Pollock. This spring, he has struggled mightily, but fantasy managers shouldn't worry unless his struggles carry over into the regular season. Kimbrel is a borderline top-five closer after converting 24 of 29 saves while posting a 2.26 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 100 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings for the White Sox/Cubs in 2021.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that newly acquired reliever Craig Kimbrel will start the season as the team's closer, according to Fabian Ardaya. Kimbrel, who was traded from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for A.J. Pollock, pitched to a 2.26 ERA with 100 strikeouts over 59.2 innings in 2021, adding 24 saves to his ledger. However, after moving across town from the Chicago Cubs to the Sox at the deadline, he had a 5.09 ERA in 24 appearances but still managed a strong 36.7% strikeout rate. The 33-year-old should immediately move up draft boards, given his potential for 30 saves on a top team in the league and his knack for strikeouts. His current ADP is 169, but that won't last for long, and fantasy managers may need to pay a premium moving forward in drafts.

The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder AJ Pollock from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in exchange for relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel, according to a source. Pollock will be leaving the best team in baseball, but the trade to the Windy City might actually be better for his playing time, especially if Andrew Vaughn (hip) isn't ready for the start of the regular season. The 34-year-old slashed an impressive .297/.355/.536 with an .892 OPS, a career-high-tying 21 home runs, 69 RBI, 53 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 422 plate appearances over 117 games last year in LA. Injuries have been a problem in his career, but if he stays healthy, Pollock should see steady playing time with the Pale Hose and will be a more attractive late-round target in a more hitter-friendly ballpark.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired closer Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago White Sox on Friday in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock, according to a source. It's great news for Kimbrel's fantasy value, as he was set to open the season in a setup role in front of closer Liam Hendriks in Chicago. Now he'll be replacing Kenley Jansen, who signed with the Atlanta Braves, as the Dodgers new closer. Blake Treinen's fantasy value takes a hit with this trade, as he figured to be the leader of a closer committee in Los Angeles. The right-hander will still be useful for holds and strikeouts, but he'll no longer be the primary ninth-inning arm for the best team in baseball. Kimbrel, an eight-time All-Star, had 2.26 ERA and 24 saves last year with the White Sox and Cubs, and he'll now be a prime closing target in fantasy.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been the subject of various trade rumors this offseason. He has been linked to teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals and two of his former clubs, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. However, on Saturday, White Sox manager Tony La Russa was asked whether he expected Kimbrel to be on the team's Opening Day roster and La Russa said "Yes." The 33-year-old spent the first half of the 2021 season with the Cubs before a trade sent him across town to the White Sox. With the Cubs, he was fantastic, converting 23 of 25 save opportunities while posting a 0.49 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP. However, he struggled over 24 appearances with the White Sox, pitching to a 5.09 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP while blowing three of his four save opportunities. As of now, Liam Hendriks is projected to be the primary closer for the White Sox with Kimbrel in a setup role.

The Chicago White Sox exercised their $16 million team option on relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel for next year, but he could be on the move with All-Star closer Liam Hendriks still in the fold as the team's ninth-inning guy. With this year's free-agent class of relievers lacking elite closing options, Kimbrel could be at a premium and won't require a long-term commitment. The hard-throwing right-hander was pretty bad in the shortened 2020 season and he had a 5.09 ERA and only one save for the Pale Hose after the acquired him from the Chicago Cubs, but he did finish 2021 with a nice 2.26 ERA, a 15.1 K/9 and a 3.5 BB/9. Kimbrel's fantasy value will remain depressed unless he's traded to a team that will install him as their everyday closer.

As expected, the Chicago White Sox exercised their $16 million team option on relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel on Saturday, according to a source familiar with the situation. Kimbrel had a huge bounce-back season in 2021 after he had a 5.28 ERA while walking 7.0 hitters per nine innings in 18 appearances over 15 1/3 innings for the Chicago Cubs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The hard-throwing right-hander was back to his elite self with the Cubs and White Sox this season, posting a 2.26 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 3.5 BB/9 in 59 2/3 innings to go with 24 saves. However, Kimbrel had only one save after joining the White Sox, and his fantasy value will continue to be hurt by the fact that Liam Hendricks remains entrenched as the team's ninth-inning closer.