San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader did not have a clean outing but did pick up his fourth save in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Mets. Hader came on to pitch the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff walk, got the first out on a strikeout, allowed another walk, allowed an RBI single, got the second out on a groundout, and ended the game with a strikeout. This was Hader's first run allowed in five appearances, and he has a stellar 1.80 ERA and 18.00 K/9 rate to show for it, although he also has an elevated 5.40 BB/9 rate. The fantasy stalwart struggled mightily for a period last season, so fantasy managers should feel relieved by his overall performance so far.

San Diego Padres left-hander Josh Hader had his first save opportunity of the season on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies and was successful. He completed a clean ninth inning in which he struck out one and allowed no baserunners. Hader had a very shaky 2022 season, posting a 5.22 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, but still managed a 37% strikeout rate with a 3.45 FIP and 36 saves in 56 games. The Padres plan to use the 28-year-old as the closer for 2023, so he should finish in the top five in saves for the sixth consecutive season while contributing a ton of strikeouts and bouncing back in the rate categories.

San Diego Padres left-handed pitcher Josh Hader worked a clean ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season. Hader struck out a batter and didn't allow a baserunner over his inning of work. The All-Star reliever will be locked in as the Padres' closer and should rack up saves on a solid team. Although last year was a bit of a rollercoaster, he seemed to figure things out down the stretch and in the playoffs, allowing just one earned run from September on (including playoffs). It appears he has carried over that momentum into the new season, and he could get back to being the top reliever in baseball if that is the case.

Even after the San Diego Padres gave third baseman Manny Machado a new 11-year, $350 million deal, the team is open to having contract-extension discussions with closer Josh Hader. The Padres are expected to reach out soon to Hader, who will be a free agent after this season. "It's a great place to be, but at the end of the day business is business," Hader said. The 28-year-old left-hander agreed to a one-year, $14.1 million deal with the team in January to avoid salary arbitration, which is the biggest salary an arbitration-eligible reliever has received. Hader really struggled with the Brewers and Padres in 2022 (5.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), but he still managed 36 saves and remains one of the most dominant relievers in baseball when he's on. He's a top-five fantasy closer heading into his first full season in SD.

The San Diego Padres and relief pitcher Josh Hader avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $14.1 million deal, according to a source. It becomes the biggest salary in arbitration in MLB history for a reliever. The Padres acquired the left-hander from the Milwaukee Brewers at last year's trade deadline, but was uncharacteristically wild and really struggled overall in 2022. Hader had a 7.31 ERA in 19 appearances in San Diego and finished with a career-high 5.22 ERA (3.45 FIP), 1.28 WHIP, 36 saves, 9.6% walk rate and 37% strikeout rate. Despite the down year, the 28-year-old southpaw had a really rough stretch to blame and he looked to be back to elite Hader form in the postseason, so a bounce-back campaign in 2023 is very possible.

San Diego Padres reliever Josh Hader closed out the final game of the National League Division Series when his club defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3. He pitched one inning, striking out the side and collecting his third save of the playoffs in the process. Hader had 36 saves during the regular season but posted a career-high 5.22 ERA and his lowest strikeout rate (37.0%) since 2017, which lost him the closer role for a bit after being dealt at the deadline. However, the left-hander has been dominant over four postseason games, allowing no runs, striking out seven, and issuing just one walk over 4.1 IP. Hader will be the number one closer option for Bob Melvin going forward.

San Diego Padres reliever Josh Hader got the call in the ninth inning to close out his club's 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday, picking up his 33rd save of the season. The lefty worked around a one-out single as he struck out one batter in the frame, throwing 13 of his 15 pitches for strikes. After a brief hiatus as the team's closer, Hader has picked up four saves since August 31, allowing just one run over the six-appearance span. He owns a disappointing 5.84 ERA and 1.37 WHIP for the season, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he finished the season in dominant form heading into the postseason.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader picked up his 32nd save of the season in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Mariners. Hader came in to pitch the ninth inning up by two. He struck the first two hitters out, allowed a single, and got the final out on another strikeout. Hader has been able to get back on the right track after a rough patch and has now converted all but three save opportunities with a 5.98 ERA, 15.05 K/9 rate, and 4.12 BB/9 rate. Fantasy managers may not feel the most comfortable with Hader at this time, but his recent history of being one of baseball's top closers makes his upside too great to sit.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader actually locked down a save on Wednesday in the 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. Hader gave up one hit and struck out one batter in the scoreless inning of work to pick up save No. 30 on the season. The 28-year-old southpaw has been absolutely atrocious in San Diego since being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers at the Aug. 2 trade deadline, and he was removed from the closer's role on Aug. 20. It was his first successful save since July 29, and he'll probably need a couple more clean outings to convince skipper Bob Melvin that he's ready for ninth-inning duties again. Since coming to SD, Hader has allowed 12 earned runs on 13 hits while walking seven and striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings with a blown save and a loss.

San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin said Monday that relief pitcher Nick Martinez is currently the team's preferred option at closer, per the Athletic's Dennis Lin. He also said that he would like to get Josh Hader back on track soon, perhaps through more consistent appearances. The Padres traded for Josh Hader at the deadline, but he has completely collapsed since then and now owns a massive 6.52 ERA despite his 29 saves. This has been one of the more shocking turns of events in fantasy baseball this season. Hader, who has been one of fantasy's top closers for several seasons, now has almost no fantasy value this late in the season.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader put together his worst outing to date on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. The left-hander was already struggling, but completely unraveled here. He gave up five hits, walking two batters, and allowing six runs, while recording one out. The Padres have already moved on from Hader as their closer. At this point, Hader has basically no fantasy value as he continues to regress.

San Diego Padres left-handed pitcher Josh Hader has been removed from the closer role for now, according to manager Bob Melvin. Supposedly this will just be a small break to get Hader right, as he has been scuffling for well over a month now. He now has a 16.20 ERA and 3.00 WHIP with a blown save and a loss since coming over from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline. When the Padres acquired Hader to secure the closer role, this certainly wasn't what they had in mind. With the Padres expected to go with a closer-by-committee approach, Luis Garcia should be the favorite for saves with Nick Martinez also in the mix. If you have Hader, add Garcia as a handcuff if he is available.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader took his fifth loss of the season Friday, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk without recording an out. Hader has appeared in just five games since being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers, and he has recorded a 16.20 ERA with four strikeouts in those 3 1/3 innings. It's likely that he will be given time to adjust to his new environs, but fantasy managers should look to other options for saves for the time being. Hader has a 5.30 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 29 saves in 37 1/3 innings this year.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader hasn't been able to find his groove since being acquired by the organization. On Thursday, Hader allowed a pair of inherited runners to score in the loss to the Washington Nationals. His control continues to be an issue as he hit a batter and walked one during this outing. The 28-year-old is posting a 8.10 ERA, 2.10 WHIP and 4/4 K/BB ratio through four appearances with the Padres. It's a small sample size, but clearly Hader isn't at his best right now.

According to a tweet from ESPN's Jeff Passan, the San Diego Padres have reportedly acquired relief pitcher Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers, right-hander Dinelson Lamet, pitching prospect Robert Gasser, and outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz. Hader has thrown 34 innings for the Brewers this season, pitching to a 4.24 ERA and a 3.47 FIP while registering 59 strikeouts and 12 walks. He's also converted 29 of 31 saves so far. The 28-year-old should continue to be one of fantasy baseball's best closers with the Padres.

The Milwaukee Brewers are again listening to offers for closer Josh Hader, although the conversations might be little more than due diligence. But the Brewers' motivation to trade Hader might be increasing as they head toward their fifth straight playoff appearance. The left-hander's $11 million salary likely will increase to the $16 million range in 2023 in his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent. His preference to limit his appearances to one inning restricts his value to the team, especially in the playoffs. Devin Williams has 30 straight scoreless appearances and could replace Hader seamlessly as the team's closer. Trading the 28-year-old Hader would only make sense for Milwaukee if they could acquire a hitter they desire in return.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader earned his first win of the season in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Twins. Hader came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 6-6 and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with no strikeouts. The Twins were able to bring a run home in the bottom half of the inning, making Hader the winning pitcher of record. His outing will come as a relief to fantasy managers, as the stud closer had allowed at least one run in six of his previous nine outings in the month of July. Consequently, his ERA has ballooned to 4.36. However, he has 28 saves to go with a 15.27 K/9 rate. He was drafted as a top fantasy closer and should be treated as such, despite the recent rough patch.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader was hit hard once again during his save opportunity against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. He entered in the ninth inning as the Brewers were up 5-2 and he went on to give up three home runs, including a walk-off grand slam hit by Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. In total, he pitched a third of an inning and allowed five hits, no walks and six earned runs. The All-Star break couldn't come soon enough for the 28-year-old, who now has a nightmarish 20.25 ERA across 5 1/3 innings in July. With his sterling track record and MLB-leading 27 saves, Hader's leash for the ninth inning is as long as one could conceivably be. Hopefully he'll be able to use the time off next week to reset for the second half of the year. Fantasy managers should avoid panicking and selling the league's save leader while the concerns float about.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader has been one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball so far this season. However, he's started to show some vulnerability through the early going of July. Over four appearances and four innings this month, he's allowed six hits, three walks and three earned runs while striking out eight. The 28-year-old entered the month with a season-long ERA of 1.09, but his recent struggles have lifted that ERA to 1.88. He still has just one blown save over 27 save chances on the year and he's preserved his league-best 43.8% strikeout rate. Fantasy managers have little reason for concern. Expect to see the star reliever shake off this recent rough stretch soon.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader finally blew his first save of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Phillies. Hader came in to pitch the ninth inning with a one-run lead. He allowed a leadoff solo home run to Alec Bohm to tie the game, got the first out on a fly out, then allowed the go-ahead solo HR to Matt Vierling before retiring the next two hitters on strikeouts. It is a testament to how outstanding Hader has been that it took until June for him to allow hist first runs and blow a save. He has now converted 18 of 19 save opportunities with a 0.96 ERA and a 14.46 K/9 rate. Fantasy managers have nothing to worry about.