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.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel recorded his 24th save on the season versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Kimbrel was called upon to protect a three-run lead and allowed one single in an otherwise perfect inning with one strikeout. Closer Liam Hendriks went 1 2/3 innings on Wednesday and was unavailable on Thursday. Kimbrel only allowed two runs and recorded 22 saves for the Chicago Cubs, but his time with the White Sox hasn't been as pretty. It was a good sign to see Kimbrel work a strong inning, but Hendriks is likely be the first name called in the ninth inning on most nights. Kimbrel has now recorded two saves with his new team and has a 5.23 ERA in 10 1/3 innings for the White Sox. For the season, the veteran is 2-4 with a 1.53 ERA to go along with 79 strikeouts in 47 innings. With Hendriks remaining the closer on most nights, Kimbrel's best value is in leagues that count holds.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel suffered a loss on Monday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Kimbrel allowed a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and that would give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead and the victory. Kimbrel was dominant as the Cubs closer this season and allowed just two runs with them, but he has been shaky for the White Sox and has allowed six runs in just 9 1/3 innings thus far. Despite the recent struggles, Kimbrel still has plenty of value in leagues that count holds. The former closer is now 2-4 with a 1.57 ERA on the season.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel got lit up against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon. Kimbrel was dealt from the Cubs to the White Sox during the trade deadline and his return to Wrigley Field was a not a kind one. Kimbrel entered the contest with only two runs allowed on the year, but that would change after Kimbrel served up a three-run home run to Andrew Romine in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kimbrel had an outing to forget on Friday and would finish with a line of four hits, three runs, zero walks and zero strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Kimbrel was dominant as the Cubs closer this season and managers should continue to have faith in the veteran. Kimbrel could still see some save chances and remains very valuable in leagues that count holds, but it appears that relief pitcher Liam Hendriks will continue to be the main option in the ninth inning moving forward for the White Sox. Kimbrel now owns a 1.14 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the NL East leaders acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” The flashy Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He's made 18 errors... [More]