Grant Balfour failed to record an out, allowing three base runners who all came around to score, in an ugly blown save Thursday against the Angels.

Joe Maddon's trigger finger couldn't have been much quicker with the veteran, and he might get second-guessed for it. Balfour entered the ninth with a 5-2 lead. He walked the first two batters he faced, and then gave up an RBI single. That was enough for Maddon, who called upon a cold Brad Boxberger to face Mike Trout. Boxberger served up the home run that seemed destined to happen, ending the game. Balfour, who signed a two-year, $12 million free agent contract with Tampa Bay this offseason, is 7-for-9 in save chances with a 6.46 ERA. Two awful outings (five runs in 2/3 of an inning in late April was the other) will take a while to work off.

Grant Balfour pitched an uneventful ninth inning to earn his seventh save of the season against the Mariners on Wednesday.

Balfour struck out one while not allowing a baserunner in the inning. Balfour has converted three straight save opportunities since getting lit up by the White Sox on April 25. The right-hander is 7-for-8 in save chances, and he owns a 4.70 ERA -- inflated by allowing five runs in 2/3 of an inning in said thrashing -- and 1.43 WHIP in 15 1/3 innings this year.

Grant Balfour pitched a pair of scoreless innings to save both ends of Tampa Bay's doubleheader on Thursday.

Balfour got through the first in 14 pitches, but he needed 24 in the nightcap. It's a good bet that he'll get Friday off now. Jake McGee also pitched in both games, so he could be unavailable, too. If a save opportunity arises, it will probably go to Joel Peralta.

Grant Balfour blew a save and took the loss Friday against the White Sox after giving up five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Balfour entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-run lead, but he loaded the bases before getting Adam Eaton to ground into a fielder's choice to drive in one run. He then loaded the bases again before Jose Abreu took him deep for a walk-off grand slam. Balfour issued three free passes in the inning and has now walked nine batters in just 10 1/3 innings on the year. He's also not missing as many bats as usual. Seven out of his nine appearances have been scoreless this season, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Grant Balfour secured his fourth save of the season Saturday with a scoreless ninth inning against the Reds.

Balfour walked three batters in a shaky appearance Friday night, but he bounced back Saturday. While he issued a one-out to Joey Votto, he was able to get Brandon Phillips to ground into a double play to end the game.

Grant Balfour struggled with his command on Friday, but managed to record the final two outs against the Reds to secure his third save of the season.

David Price started the ninth inning in a bid for a shutout, but after a Joey Votto solo blast, Balfour was summoned to finish the evening. After getting Ryan Ludwick on strikes, he made things interesting by walking Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco, before punching out Brayan Pena to end the ballgame.

Grant Balfour secured his second save of the season Tuesday, closing out the Rays' win over the Royals.

Balfour surrendered a leadoff hit to Mike Moustakas but induced an Alcides Esobar fly out before striking out Jarrod Dyson and Norichika Aoki to end the threat. Balfour still hasn't allowed a run in three appearances this season.

Grant Balfour was shaky against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, walking one and uncorking two wild pitches in one inning.

Balfour was making his first appearance of the 2014 season in a non-save situation. The right-hander was in danger, with runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the ninth, but was able to record a strikeout to end the threat. Balfour, who battled arm fatigue in mid-March, takes over for Fernando Rodney as closer for the Rays.

Grant Balfour (arm) tossed a scoreless inning in a minor league game on Wednesday afternoon.

Balfour battled some arm fatigue earlier this month, but it's a typical thing for him in the spring and he's back near 100 percent health by now. "I'm not worried about it," he told reporters Wednesday. "I've done it plenty of times to where I know my body, I know what it does." The right-hander signed a two-year, $12 million contract this past winter and will serve as the Rays' closer in 2014.

Grant Balfour (arm) threw 15 pitches in a minor league game Wednesday and reported improvement.

Balfour began experiencing arm fatigue during a rough appearance Saturday in a Grapefruit League game, but it seems to be nothing major. "I felt really good, felt strong," the Rays' closer told reporters Wednesday. "I'm really, really happy with how it went."

Grant Balfour (dead-arm), Joel Peralta (neck), and Alex Cobb will pitch in a minor league game on Wednesday.

Balfour complained after Saturday's rough outing against the Pirates that he's going through a "dead-arm period." Peralta, meanwhile, has been dealing with neck stiffness since his appearance on the same day. Neither seems overly concerned with their minor maladies. Cobb, a projected top-10 AL-only hurler, will join them on the mound in the exhibition.

Grant Balfour said that he's going through a "dead-arm period."

Balfour got batted around by the Pirates on Saturday afternoon and allowed a three-run homer to Russell Martin. He believes he's going through a normal "flat arm" period of spring training.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed Saturday that they were in on free agent Grant Balfour before he signed with the Rays.

Rizzo notes that eventually the allure of sleeping in his own bed in Florida led Balfour to sign with the Rays instead. This could mean that the Nationals are still on the lookout for potential upgrades in the bullpen to work in front of Rafael Soriano and Tyler Clippard.

Rays signed RHP Grant Balfour to a two-year, $12 million contract.

The deal is now official, which means that Balfour has passed his physical. The Orioles nixed a two-year, $15 million deal with Balfour back in December over some health concerns (reportedly due to his wrist and knee), but he has landed in a good situation in his return to Tampa Bay, where he'll have a clear path at the closer role and a chance to contend. The 36-year-old had a 2.59 ERA, 38 saves and a 72/27 K/BB ratio over 62 2/3 innings with the Athletics last season and should remain a solid fantasy closer in 2014.

The Mets have denied to multiple media outlets that they offered Grant Balfour more than the two-year, $12 million contract he took from Tampa Bay.

Although we can't say for sure whether New York is telling the truth or not, the club's executives sure possess the motivation to jam the toothpaste back in the tube in lieu of Ken Rosenthal's report. It does no good to project distrust in ongoing incumbent Bobby Parnell, so the brass will surely hope he accepts their version of events.

The Mets offered Grant Balfour more than the two-years and $12 million he accepted from the Rays, reports Ken Rosenthal of Yahoo! Sports.

Balfour preferred to be closer to his home in Clearwater, Fl., according to Rosenthal. The 36-year-old will take care of ninth-inning duties behind Heath Bell, Joel Peralta and Jake McGee in Tampa Bay. This news also indicates that the Mets aren't as sold on Bobby Parnell as they let on.

An MLB official that examined Grant Balfour's medical report "found nothing wrong with them," reports Yahoo! Sports Jeff Passan.

Baltimore's medical staff nixed Balfour's two-year, $15 million contract because of a shoulder concern in December, leading to the veteran accepting $3 million less over the same period from the Rays. We agree with Passan's assessment that the "Rays get another steal with closer after [Rafael] Soriano, [Fernando] Rodney." The 36-year-old Australian collected a 2.53 ERA over 202 appearances for Oakland since 2011 and there's little reason to expect a steep performance dropoff in 2014.

The Rays have agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with Grant Balfour, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin.

In the final evaluation, Baltimore's medical staff cost Balfour $3 million total. It can't be fun to lose $3 million (we wouldn't know), but Balfour will content himself at night by remembering that he's pitching for a better team in a sunnier locale. Balfour's fantasy prospects also figure to improve slightly at The Trop, though Jim Johnson has been one of fantasy's top closers the past few years in Baltimore, so that upgrade may be overstated. The fiery Aussie, who pitched for Tampa previously between 2007-10, recorded 38 saves while collecting a 2.59 ERA over 62 2/3 innings in Oakland last year. He'll be set up by a group that includes Heath Bell, Joel Peralta and Jake McGee.

Grant Balfour will sign with the Rays, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Balfour's long, winding winter journey -- Baltimore nixed an agreed-upon two-year, $15 million deal with the reliever last month due to concerns raised in a pre-signing physical -- appears to be near completion. Balfour, who posted a 2.53 ERA over 202 appearances for Oakland the past three years, figures to take over closing duties in Tampa Bay. Owning the ninth-inning gig for a contender once again, Balfour could potentially be a value pick in fantasy drafts once the elite closers have been over-drafted.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post was told by a source that free agent reliever Grant Balfour is expected to make a decision on where to sign "within a week, if not the coming days."