Houston Astros right-hander Ryan Pressly (back) threw live batting practice on Monday as he recovers from a lower-back strain. Pressly threw another bullpen session on Saturday in Baltimore and remains on track to return from the 15-day injured list when he's eligible on Thursday. He tried to pitch through a back strain for two weeks before the team finally decided to put him on the IL on Aug. 17 (retroactive to Aug. 14). Manager Joe Espada said a minor-league rehab assignment wouldn't be necessary. "I think he's in pretty good shape," Espada said. "The fact that he continues to throw, he feels good." Pressly has a 3.86 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 46 2/3 relief innings in 2024, but he has allowed five earned runs, 12 hits and five walks in seven innings over seven outings since July 29. The Astros will be hoping Pressly is more effective as a late-inning setup man down the stretch after recovering from his back injury.

Houston Astros right-hander reliever Ryan Pressly (back) threw a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday before the series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Manager Joe Espada said that Pressly probably won't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before coming off the injured list. A lower-back strain put the 35-year-old veteran on the 15-day IL last weekend, but he's making good progress and should be ready to rejoin the big-league bullpen when he's eligible to return on Aug. 29. A rough stretch before his injury ballooned Pressly's ERA on the season to 3.86, while he's also holding a 1.41 WHIP with two saves and 49 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings pitched in 2024. When he rejoins the Astros, he should return to a key late-inning setup role for the first-place Astros, making him valuable in deeper holds leagues.

Houston Astros right-hander Ryan Pressly (back) was feeling better and played catch on Monday, according to manager Joe Espada. Pressly tried to pitch through a back strain for the past two weeks before the team finally placed him on the 15-day injured list this past Saturday. He has a 3.86 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 46 2/3 innings this year but has given up 12 hits, five earned runs and five walks in seven innings in seven appearances since July 29. The 35-year-old's rough recent stretch before going on the IL coincides with his back injury, so the Astros will be hoping that he will be much better down the stretch out of the bullpen once he returns from the IL. Pressly will be eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 29, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready at that date.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday, retroactive to August 14 with a low back strain. In a corresponding move, the Astros recalled right-handed pitcher Seth Martinez. The 35-year-old has struggled over his previous four outings with a 9.00 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP, which could suggest he was dealing with some discomfort for a few days. Prior to this stretch, from June 1 to August 2, the right-hander posted a stellar 1.69 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. While he has typically served as the ninth-inning option in Space City throughout his career, this summer, he has transitioned to a set-up for Josh Hader. While he has struggled at times, he currently sits with 21 holds, which places him near the top of most relievers. Fantasy managers should expect Bryan Abreu to serve as the eighth-inning option going forward and could earn the occasional save when Hader has the day off.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly earned his second save of the season in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants. Pressly entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with two strikeouts. Closer Josh Hader had pitched each of the last two days for the Astros, so Pressly was called upon to reprise his old role. The 25-year-old has had an uncharacteristically poor season, converting just two of seven save opportunities with seven holds, a 5.19 ERA, and a 12.12 K/9 rate in 26 innings pitched. While Hader was the team's big off-season signing, he has only seen three more save opportunities than Pressly, who served as the team's lockdown closer from 2021-23. He is still worth a roster spot in deeper roto leagues given his history and role as next-in-line, but his ERA will need to continue to improve before he returns to a true fantasy option.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (back) made his first appearance since last Friday in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the New York Yankees, giving up a home run and one walk with one strikeout while recording two outs. Making his first appearance in six days after experiencing soreness in his lower back, Pressly wasn't sharp in the eighth inning while throwing just 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes and serving up a monstrous home run to Aaron Judge late on Wednesday. While the 35-year-old veteran reliever has taken a backseat to All-Star closer Josh Hader in the saves department, he's not helping his cause with a poor 5.65 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 22:6 K:BB, and two blown saves over 14 1/3 innings out of Houston's bullpen this year. Even in fantasy leagues that count holds, Pressly is barely worth hanging onto right now.

Houston Astros right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly (back), who hasn't pitched since last Friday, is dealing with soreness in his lower back, according to manager Joe Espada. Pressly played catch on Wednesday, and Espada said he "felt OK" and termed it "nothing worrisome right now." For now, the 35-year-old will remain with the team, but it remains to be seen if he'll be available out of the team's bullpen on Wednesday against the New York Yankees. Pressly's back issues could have contributed to his slow start in 2024, as he's currently sporting a 5.27 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while walking five and striking out 21 in 13 2/3 innings of relief. However, he hasn't allowed a run in his last five innings while walking one and striking out nine and will remain a key late-inning setup man in front of closer Josh Hader if he's healthy enough to pitch.

Houston Astros right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly picked up the loss in Thursday's 5-4 Opening Day defeat to the visiting New York Yankees. He entered in the seventh frame in a 4-4 tie and allowed an earned run on two hits (a leadoff double to Aaron Judge) while walking one and striking out one. The 35-year-old veteran is off to a bad start after losing a lot of his fantasy appeal in the offseason when the team signed left-hander Josh Hader to be their new closer. The former 11th-round selection by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 has made two All-Star teams in his 12-year MLB career and saved 31 games for the Astros in 2023 while posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 65 1/3 regular-season innings. Despite no longer being the closer in Houston, Pressly still has plenty of value in holds leagues.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that left-hander Josh Hader would be the team's closer in 2024, with right-hander Ryan Pressly serving in a late-inning setup role. "Hader will pitch the ninth inning if both guys are available," Espada said. It's no surprise that Hader will be Houston's closer after they signed him to a five-year, $95 million deal in free agency this winter, but it's now official. The 29-year-old hard-throwing left-hander is one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in the game and is now joining a strong Astros club that should give him plenty of save opportunities. Pressly will still likely pick up an occasional save or two, but his fantasy value is going to take a big hit with a permanent move to a setup role in front of Hader. With the San Diego Padres last year, Hader had a 1.28 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 33 saves in 56 1/3 innings.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada would not name a closer when reporters asked him over the weekend at the team's FanFest. This is notable as the Astros just signed closer Josh Hader to a record-breaking contract. Ryan Pressly, who locked down 31 saves for Houston last season, was the clear incumbent before the Hader signing. Conventional wisdom says that Hader will eventually be given the job given his pedigree and contract situation. The 29-year-old southpaw finished the 2023 season with a 1.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 85:30 K/BB ratio to go along with 33 saves over 56 1/3 innings with the Padres. Pressly could shift into a setup role once Hader established himself so he should still hold fantasy value in NSVH leagues.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly blew his sixth save of the season in Monday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles, falling to 3-5. Pressly came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed back-to-back singles, allowed a go-ahead three-run home run, and allowed a walk before ending the inning on back-to-back strikeouts. Despite the poor outing, the 34-year-old has been a higher-end fantasy contributor once again this season, securing 30 saves with a 3.84 ERA and a 10.48 K/9 rate.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly has been one of the more reliable closers throughout this season. The 34-year-old was called upon to protect a three-run lead versus the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. He allowed a two-out single to Triston Casas, but was able to get out of the inning without any damage. The right-hander holds a 3.32 ERA with 63 strikeouts through 57 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to lean on him for saves down the stretch of the regular season.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly picked up the save on Tuesday when he allowed just one hit with a pair of strikeouts over a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins. Pressly entered in the bottom of the ninth with the Astros clinging to a one-run lead. He got Bryan De La Cruz to line out before Jesus Sanchez ripped a double. Pressly then settled in and struck out both Avisail Garcia and Joey Wendle to end the game. The 34-year-old stopper is not 28-for-32 on save chances this season and owns a solid 2.92 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 56:10 K/BB ratio over 52 1/3 innings.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly was unavailable for Sunday's game against the New York Yankees, according to manager Dusty Baker. Pressly is dealing with general soreness, but Baker says he is healthy. The 34-year-old has appeared in 11 games since July 14, which is a fairly heavy workload for a reliever. It is likely that the Astros just wanted to give him some rest so he can freshen up for the stretch run. Bryan Abreu earned the save in place of Pressly on Sunday and appears to be second in line for opportunities if Pressly misses time in the future.

Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly closed out Monday's 7-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians, going one inning, striking out one, and allowing no baserunners. The outing earned him his 25th save of the season, and he's authoring a 3.17 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 26.8% strikeout rate across 48 1/3 innings to go along with it. Pressly has been one of the most trusted closers in baseball over the past few seasons, and that hasn't changed in 2023. Fantasy managers should start the 34-year-old in all formats.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly shut down the Oakland Athletics to preserve a 3-1 win on Thursday. Pressly made quick work of the A's, shutting them down in order while striking out one. It is a nice bounce-back outing for Pressly, who had allowed four runs in his last two appearances. Despite the recent struggles, he has been excellent this season, boasting a 2.91 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 43 IP. As the clear closer on one of the better teams in baseball, he is one of the elite bullpen options in fantasy.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly continued his run of success with a perfect ninth inning on Sunday, protecting a 5-3 lead and preserving the win against the Texas Rangers. Pressly struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner. He has now thrown seven consecutive scoreless frames, with the last five being without allowing a baserunner. This comes immediately after a stretch of five outings where he allowed at least one run, so fantasy managers will be happy to see some zeroes thrown up. Pressly should continue to be one of the elite fantasy options out of the bullpen as the go-to guy on a solid Astros team.

Houston Astros right-hander Ryan Pressly was tasked with the ninth inning of Tuesday's contest against the New York Mets. He gave up one walk and no hits while striking out one to preserve the 4-2 win and secure his 13th save of 2023. Over 30.1 innings this year, Pressly is running a 3.26 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 26.2% strikeout rate. Fantasy managers would sure like more saves out of the 34-year-old, but he's pitching for a top team in the American League and will surely hit the 30-save mark by the end of the season. Pressly's a must-start in all formats as one of the more trustworthy arms in baseball.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly finished off a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, earning his 11th save in the process. Pressly allowed just a hit while striking out one in his inning of work. It was a nice bounceback for the righty, who had just blown his first save of the season on Monday. His ERA now sits at 3.09 and his WHIP at a stellar 0.90. He will see the majority of save opportunities for a good Houston team and is a top-tier closer in fantasy.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly blew his first save of the season in Monday's 7-5 extra-innings loss to the Twins. Pressly came on to pitch the ninth inning up by one. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a single, got the second out on a strikeout, allowed a walk, allowed the game-tying RBI single, and got the third out on a groundout. The 34-year-old has been a consistent fantasy option once again this season despite this stumble, converting 10 of 11 save opportunities with a 3.22 ERA and a 9.67 K/9 rate.