Kirby Yates Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Angels right-handed pitcher Kirby Yates remains a speculative waiver-wire option for fantasy managers chasing saves, but the role is not completely stable. Over 13 1/3 innings, the 39-year-old has one save, a 4.05 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts. The season-long ratios are not ideal, but Yates has settled down recently with three straight scoreless appearances, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out four over three innings. The main issue is role clarity. Ryan Zeferjahn and Sam Bachman remain part of the late-inning picture, and Zeferjahn recently earned his second save of the season on June 12. Still, Yates has the most closing experience in the group and remains firmly in the mix if Los Angeles continues rotating ninth-inning chances. At 28% rostered on Yahoo, he is a reasonable short-term pickup for fantasy managers who need saves and can tolerate some bullpen uncertainty.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates couldn't hold on to a one-run lead against the Astros on Monday night, and his team went on to lose in extra innings. To start the inning, Yates walked Jeremy Pena, who stole second and scored on a single by Christian Walker. While he didn't take the loss on Monday, Yates' ERA climbed to 5.23 on the season, and he has allowed a run in three of his last four appearances. The Angels don't have many proven options in the bullpen, or Yates may have already been in a committee, but if they do look to go a different direction, Sam Bachman has been very effective as a setup man. Yates still will likely get save chances for the Angels, but he'll need to turn things around soon if he doesn't want to lose his job. It's hard to have much confidence in him at this point, and better options may be available on your league's waiver wire.

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Kirby Yates was tagged for his second loss of the season on Friday night, entering a 0-0 game in the bottom of the ninth and allowing a walk-off solo home run to Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. The veteran Yates has been the Angels' preferred option in the ninth inning in recent weeks after recording his first save of the year on May 23. However, Yates has posted a 4.82 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 9 1/3 innings (11 games) this year. He also owns a 1.93 HR/9 after being tagged for a 1.96 HR/9 across 41 1/3 innings in 2025, and his average fastball velocity has dipped to a career-worst 90.6 miles per hour. Yates has 99 career saves, and the Angels don't exactly have an obvious replacement for him in the closer role. Still, fantasy managers should proceed with caution if relying on Yates for saves.

Los Angeles Angels veteran closer Kirby Yates is starting to look like a sneaky waiver wire priority for managers chasing saves. The 39-year-old has a track record of closing (98 career saves entering 2026) and has already picked up his 99th save in limited action this season. With Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce dealing with injuries early on, Yates has a clear path to high-leverage work and save chances under manager Kurt Suzuki, who has been vocal about his trust in the veteran. The right-hander opened the season on the shelf with a knee injury, which allowed Ryan Zeferjahn and Jordan Romano (who was designated for assignment in late April) to operate as the primary ninth-inning options. With limited competition in this current bullpen, Yates has a clear path to quickly claim this role. During the 2024 season, Yates showed promise in the closer role for the Rangers, tallying 33 saves with a 1.17 ERA. Even though he has endured some growing pains since returning from injury (4.32 ERA over 8 1/3 frames), his high-leverage experience gives him the edge to emerge as the ninth-inning option in this bullpen.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates gave up one earned run on two hits in the ninth inning on Monday, taking the loss as his team fell to the Rockies, 9-8. Yanes gave up a single to Kyle Karros and a double to Jake McCarthy before the game-winning sacrifice fly from T.J. Rumfield. Yates was entering the game in a non-save situation after a wild eighth inning, in which the Rockies scored five times to take the lead, and the Angels answered with two runs to tie the game back up when Yates entered. The 39-year-old righty has a 4.32 ERA and 4.04 FIP in his nine games this season, and before Monday, he allowed just one run in his previous six appearances. He has only had a single save this season since the Angels don't present a ton of opportunities, but he'll likely remain the top closer for now in the absence of any other experienced options at the back of the bullpen.

Los Angeles Angels veteran reliever Kirby Yates picked up his first save of the season in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The right-hander delivered a clean ninth inning and struck out one batter while continuing his recent turnaround after an uneven start to the year. Yates now carries a 4.26 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, but his recent appearances have looked far more encouraging than his early-season results. The 39-year-old could begin seeing more save opportunities as Angels closer Ryan Zeferjahn has struggled with a 10.13 ERA in his last three appearances. Yates has extensive late-inning experience and may quickly become a fantasy option for managers searching for saves.

Fantasy managers speculating and scrounging for saves early in the 2026 season might want to consider taking a look at Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (knee), even though he's still on the 15-day injured list. Yates' numbers during his minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Triple-A Salt Lake haven't been pretty, but he's nearing a return and could make his 2026 debut with the Angels before the calendar flips to May next week. In his two innings pitched on the farm, Yates has allowed four runs (three earned) while walking one and striking out three. Right-handed reliever Ben Joyce (shoulder) remains on the IL, and right-hander Robert Stephenson (elbow) is done for the year. Righty Jordan Romano has been the Halos' closer in the first month of the season, but Yates, who has 98 career MLB saves in his 11 years in the big leagues, could quickly become an option for saves with the Angels when he rejoins the big-league roster. He's currently rostered in just 13% of Yahoo leagues.

Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (knee) allowed three earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out one in an inning of work with Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday during a minor-league rehab outing. Yates threw 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes, but the velocity on his fastball was down a bit on Wednesday, and he's likely to need at least a few more appearances down on the farm before the Halos consider reinstating him from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut. The 39-year-old veteran is a stash candidate for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are desperate for saves. Yates has 98 saves in his 11-year MLB career, and he's also a two-time All-Star, but he really struggled with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 and won't be guaranteed regular save opportunities with the Angels when he returns to the major-league roster. Right-hander Jordan Romano is currently the team's primary closer early in the year. Right now, Yates is rostered in just 14% of Yahoo leagues.

Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (knee) began his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and allowed an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out two in his inning of work with the Quakes. Yates, who began the year on the 15-day injured list with left-knee inflammation, is nearing his 2026 season debut and could be thrown right into the mix for save chances with right-hander Jordan Romano blowing back-to-back save opportunities against the New York Yankees in the Bronx earlier this week. Fantasy managers should consider picking up the 39-year-old veteran with his return potentially coming next week. Yates had a rough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, but he had 33 saves for the Texas Rangers in 2024, and he's racked up 98 saves over the course of his 11-year MLB career. At the very least, Yates could be a sleeper in holds leagues as a late-inning setup man for the Halos in 2026.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates (knee) is working his way back from left knee inflammation and could be ready to step into a meaningful role in the bullpen soon. He threw to hitters last week but has not yet started a rehab assignment. He seems ready to start his rehab soon and could be set for his Halos' debut soon. Over the offseason, the 39-year-old veteran righty signed a one-year deal worth $5 million. He brings plenty of experience in high-leverage situations and could challenge Jordan Romano for the closer job when he's healthy. Romano blew his first save of the season against the Yankees on Monday, so Yates' return could be at the perfect time for him to take over the role if Romano has more issues. If you're seeking saves on the waiver wire and trying to get ahead of potential changes in a deep league, Yates is worth stashing since he's such a proven option when healthy.