Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that right-hander Ryan Pressly's (knee) location and velocity was good during his live batting practice session on Sunday, and he could be activated from the injured list in a couple of days. The 33-year-old right-hander landed on the injured list with right knee inflammation. He had three saves with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings pitched before his knee injury cropped up. With Pressly out, the Astros have been going with a closer-by-committee setup involving Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek and Rafael Montero.

It was reported earlier this week that Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly (knee) would be activated from the injured list when first eligible on Sunday. However, that is no longer the case. Astros manager Dusty Baker stated that Pressly will face live batters at Minute Made Park on Saturday, but that he won't be ready to return as soon as Sunday. Baker didn't offer any additional insight as to when we could expect to see Pressly activated. The 33-year-old is dealing with right knee inflammation. He converted three of his four save opportunities before hitting the injured list. The Astros oddly haven't had a save opportunity arise since Pressly has been out, but if one comes around, Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek would be the most likely candidates to close things out.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly (knee) is progressing well from the right knee inflammation that sent him to the injured list on April 16. His move to the injured list was retroactive to April 14, and all indications from the Astros are that he should be able to return when first eligible on April 24. The 33-year-old had fluid drained from his right knee. He then went on to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Pressly has had four save opportunities already this year and he's converted three of them.

Houston Astros general manager James Click said that closer Ryan Pressly (knee) is feeling "great" after having his knee drained, and he expects to be back "very soon." Pressly, who remains on the injured list, is hoping that his knee injury is what caused his velocity to dip to begin the season. His long-term prognosis is great, and Click said that the injury is a "minor thing." Pressly went on the injured list last weekend with right knee inflammation. He's eligible to be activated this Sunday, and fantasy managers could have him back by then for save chances. Until then, the Astros will continue to use a closer committee with Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek and Rafael Montero.

Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation backdated to April 14th. The 33-year-old has converted three of four saves while posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings in 2021. He failed to convert his save opportunity against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Pressly's knee issue most likely contributed to struggles in his previous outing. The right-hander will miss at least the next 10 days. The Astros called up southpaw Parker Mushinski was recalled in a corresponding move. Fantasy managers looking for Pressly's replacement should add Hector Neris. Neris has closer experiences with the Philadelphia Phillies and has racked up 82 saves over his last five seasons.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly failed to convert his save opportunity against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He entered the game in the ninth inning as the team had a 2-1 lead and he wound up giving up two walks, one hit and two runs (one earned). In addition to the blown save, he also earned the loss for the game. The 33-year-old was successful in converting each of his first two save opportunities of the year, both of which came during the team's opening season series against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander converted 26 of his 28 save opportunities last year, so he should have a somewhat long leash in the closing role this year.

The Houston Astros and closer Ryan Pressly agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract extension on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the situation. The deal includes a 2025 vesting option that can make the deal worth up to $42 million. MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports Pressly will make $14 million in 2023 and 2024 and has a $2 million buyout on a $14 million option for 2025. A full no-trade clause will kick in in 2023. The 33-year-old right-hander has been lights-out for the Astros and has made the All-Star team twice in his three seasons with them. He had a career-high 26 saves, a 2.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 64 relief innings last year, and Pressly should be considered a top-five fantasy closer.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly has made one outing this spring, pitching a scoreless inning with no hits, no walks, and a strikeout. However, he saw his fastball velocity at 92.4 MPH, compared to 95.4 MPH last season. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported that Pressly is not worried about his velocity from the outing. Pressly said, "Relievers run off adrenaline and there's no adrenaline here... I'm not really worried about velocity". The 33-year-old was one of fantasy baseball's more reliable closers in 2021, converting 26 of 28 save opportunities with a 2.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 32.4% strikeout rate. His solid 2021 season, his job security, and the team he plays on should be enough for fantasy managers to consider him for their teams. Pressly is currently being drafted as 24th pitcher overall, making him the sixth closer off the board.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly (knee) was unavailable out of the bullpen for Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters on Tuesday that Pressly is dealing with a knee injury, the same injury that has bothered him in the past. Baker also stated that he believes Pressly should be available to pitch on Wednesday, so it doesn't seem like anything serious. The 32-year-old right-hander has converted 25 of his 27 save opportunities this year while pitching to a 2.32 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. If he were to miss additional time, Kendall Graveman and Ryne Stanek would be the top candidates for save opportunities.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly has pitched four straight scoreless appearances heading into Tuesday night's matchup against the Angels. Pressly is enjoying a fantastic season but has experienced a few bumps in the road as of late. The right-handed reliever was tagged for four combined runs in back-to-back appearances against the Mariners earlier this month and is posting a 5.40 ERA in the month of September. For the season, Pressly is 25-for-27 in save chances with a 0.92 WHIP, a 2.23 ERA with 77 strikeouts through 60 2/3 innings pitched.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly will be looking to shake off a difficult series against the Mariners last week heading into Tuesday's action against the Rangers. Pressly is having a very strong season but was tagged for a combined four runs in back-to-back appearances against the Mariners. His ERA has been slowly climbing down the stretch, posting a 5.40 ERA over his last seven appearances. For the season, Pressly has converted 24-of-26 save opportunities with a 0.95 WHIP, a 2.34 ERA and 72 strikeouts through 57 2/3 innings pitched this season.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly will head into the weekend looking very sharp on the mound right now. The 32-year-old has punched out 10 hitters over his last seven appearances despite save opportunities becoming scarce. The Astros offense simply has been scoring tons of runs and haven't been playing a lot of close games. Pressly is having a strong season but has only two saves since July 21. The numbers lend themselves to fantasy success but Pressly's value is being hampered by lack of save opportunities.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly will head into Monday's matchup against the Royals with four straight scoreless appearances. Pressly mini-streak comes on the heels of a week-long stretch at the end of July that saw the hurler allow runs in three of four outings. It has been a fantastic year for Pressly and that recent bump in the road is one of the few blemishes on his season. Pressly will be ready out of the pen this week for the Astros and will take a 0.85 WHIP and a 1.88 ERA with 19 saves into his next performance.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly has hit his first real speed bump of the season heading into the team's series opener against the Dodgers Tuesday night. Pressly has been fantastic this season but is currently in a rough stretch on the mound. To be fair, none of these appearances have been save chances but Pressly has allowed runs in three of his last four times out on the field. He has allowed four runs total over his last four innings pitched and his ERA has jumped from 1.35 to 2.05. Pressly has plenty of time to iron out these issues and still is an elite fantasy choice for saves. For the season, the 32-year-old is 18-of-19 on save chances with a 0.91 WHIP with 55 strikeouts through 44 innings pitched.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Houston Astros have landed one of the top relievers in baseball, acquiring right-hander Kendall Graveman from the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in an odd intra-division trade while the teams were preparing to play each other. Graveman and Rafael Montero are going to the AL West-leading Astros with infielder Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith going back to Seattle. A teary Graveman said he was shocked by the trade, and had assumed he would be sticking with the Mariners, who'd won four straight against divisional opponents in gritty fashion. “I didn’t see it coming, but there’s always that percent of, ‘This game’s a business,’" Graveman said as he stood in front of the Astros dugout. “I’m speaking truth and honest, the way I felt is, (we're) nine games over .500 over on that side and playing pretty good ball while I was there. That takes away from the last five days, honestly, I think. But we’ll see if they bounce back.” The move bolsters a Houston bullpen that has struggled... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Houston Astros have landed one of the top relievers in baseball, acquiring right-hander Kendall Graveman from the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in an odd intra-division trade while the teams were preparing to play each other. Graveman and Rafael Montero are going to the AL West-leading Astros with infielder Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith going back to Seattle. “We are always looking to improve all aspects of the roster,” Astros general manager James Click said. “This one happens to be focused on the bullpen. But we’re not going to take any options off the table when it comes to trying to put ourselves in a position to compete for a World Series.” The move bolsters a Houston bullpen that has struggled at times and has an ERA above 4.00 this season. Graveman is 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 10 saves in 30 appearances this year. He missed nearly a month due to COVID-19 protocols in May and June but has been dominant on the mound. Graveman has not allowed an earned run in his... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs and stormed past the New York Yankees 5-4 Sunday. Verdugo opened the eighth with a long double for Boston’s first hit. Later, Kiké Hernández slid home headfirst on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly with the go-ahead run to cap the rally. The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games against the Yankees and reclaimed first place in the AL East, a game ahead of Tampa Bay. New York fell nine games behind Boston. Boston trailed 4-0 when Verdugo doubled to deep right, and Germán was lifted after the hit. Jonathan Loaisiga (7-4) relieved, and Boston broke loose with four straight hits. Hunter Renfroe had an RBI double, Christian Vázquez singled home a run and Hernández followed with an RBI double, cutting it to 4-3. Zack Britton relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki’s groundout plated the tying run. Hernández hustled hard and beat right fielder... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs and stormed past the New York Yankees 5-4 Sunday. Verdugo opened the eighth with a long double for Boston’s first hit. Later, Kiké Hernández slid home headfirst on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly with the go-ahead run to cap the rally. The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games against the Yankees and reclaimed first place in the AL East, a game ahead of Tampa Bay. New York fell nine games behind Boston. Boston trailed 4-0 when Verdugo doubled to deep right, and Germán was lifted after the hit. Jonathan Loaisiga (7-4) relieved, and Boston broke loose with four straight hits. Hunter Renfroe had an RBI double, Christian Vázquez singled home a run and Hernández followed with an RBI double, cutting it to 4-3. Zack Britton relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki’s groundout plated the tying run. Hernández hustled hard and beat right fielder... [More]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, Kiké Hernández drove in three runs with two homers and the Boston Red Sox snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. Rookie Jarren Duran hit his first major league homer, Dylan Santana and Rafael Devers also went yard, and J.D. Martinez broke out of a slump with four hits as the Red Sox improved their AL-leading road record to 29-19. Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-4) allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Toronto used eight pitchers and had its five-game win streak halted. Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling gave up six runs on four hits and two walks while getting only one out in his first appearance this season that didn’t extend into at least the fourth inning. Cavan Biggio homered for the Blue Jays during a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk and Bo Bichette also drove in runs. METS 15, REDS 11,... [More]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, Kiké Hernández drove in three runs with two homers and the Boston Red Sox snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. Rookie Jarren Duran hit his first major league homer, Dylan Santana and Rafael Devers also went yard, and J.D. Martinez broke out of a slump with four hits as the Red Sox improved their AL-leading road record to 29-19. Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-4) allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Toronto used eight pitchers and had its five-game win streak halted. Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling gave up six runs on four hits and two walks while getting only one out in his first appearance this season that didn’t extend into at least the fourth inning. Cavan Biggio homered for the Blue Jays during a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk and Bo Bichette also drove in runs. METS 15, REDS 11,... [More]