Riley O'Brien Fantasy Stats

St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien is off to an impressive start to the season, having not allowed an earned run yet through seven appearances. The right-hander has yielded just four hits and has yet to walk a batter as well, while striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings of work, tallying three saves along the way. The 31-year-old showed well last season, too, posting a 2.06 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while converting six saves and six holds in 48 innings pitched. Despite the sterling results this year, the 6-foot-4 hurler is still available in over half of Yahoo! leagues. That number should be higher for a reliever having so much success and who does not currently have competition for the closer role.

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Riley O'Brien picked up his second save on Sunday night, helping the Cardinals secure the 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers and avoid getting swept over the weekend. The Cardinals' bullpen has been a bit of a mystery box to start the season, with O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, and Matt Svanson all rumored at one point either during Spring Training or to start the season to be the Cardinals' most likely closer. O'Brien appears to have taken the front seat in that race, with two saves on the season and 5 1/3 shutout innings, a 0.75 WHIP, and five strikeouts. The 31-year-old pitcher closed six games for the Cardinals in 2025, but outside of that, he has not had much experience closing, so if he truly has taken over, fantasy managers should expect the leash to be fairly short. For leagues that prioritize saves, O'Brien would be a strong pickup to see if he retains the closer job and earns some more opportunities in the meantime.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien picked up his first save of the season Tuesday against the New York Mets, tossing one hitless inning to close out the win. The right-hander has now appeared in three games, logging 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, three hits allowed, and zero earned runs. O'Brien is building on last season's breakout, when he posted a 2.06 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 48 innings. His early usage in high-leverage spots suggests growing trust from the coaching staff. If this trend continues, he could carve out a steady role in late-game situations for St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that right-handed reliever Riley O'Brien (calf) will be shut down for the next few days, and it will take a couple of weeks for him to ramp up, according to Brian Murphy of MLB.com. O'Brien is expected to miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic for Team South Korea, but he can always be added back to the roster, depending on his recovery from what is being called a mild right-calf strain. The 31-year-old veteran still has plenty of time to get himself right before Opening Day in late March, but if he has any further setbacks, his availability could be in question. O'Brien is in the mix for saves in St. Louis in 2026 after he posted a sharp 2.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, his first six career saves, 45 K's, and 22 walks in a career-high 48 innings last year. He'll primarily be competing for save opps at the back end of the Cards' bullpen with JoJo Romero and Matt Svanson.

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Riley O'Brien (calf) is dealing with some calf soreness in camp, according to Jeff Jones of The Belleville News. The Cardinals are now discussing what it means for O'Brien's participation in this year's World Baseball Classic for Team South Korea. The 31-year-old will be in the mix for saves in St. Louis in 2026 with JoJo Romero as long as he's healthy. In his second year in St. Louis in 2025, O'Brien was hard to hit, posting a 2.06 ERA (1.15 WHIP), his first six career saves, a career-high 45 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 48 innings over 42 appearances out of the bullpen. It was his first extended look in the big leagues, and he did not disappoint. O'Brien struck out only 22.6% of the batters he faced, though, and also had an elevated 11.1% walk rate for a high-leverage arm, so there will be plenty of volatility and risk for a pitcher who has never held down the closer's role for an entire season.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien picked up his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Reds. O'Brien came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and turned in a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. The 30-year-old has split save opportunities with JoJo Romero lately, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's game. O'Brien has now converted five of eight save opportunities on the season with a 2.08 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and an 8.52 K/9 rate in 43 1/3 innings of work. He is currently widely available, making him a viable option for fantasy managers desparate for a final few saves in roto leagues.

The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping that right-handed reliever Riley O'Brien (shoulder) will be available out of their bullpen this weekend during their series against the visiting San Francisco Giants, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. O'Brien has been dealing with a right-shoulder injury and hasn't pitched for the Cardinals in over a week, but he was cleared to resume throwing earlier this week and it looks like he will avoid a trip to the injured list. How effective the 30-year-old will be in his return is another question, but he should continue to be in the mix for saves for St. Louis the rest of the way if he can stay healthy. O'Brien has been fantastic in his second season for the team in 2025 with a 1.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, his first two career saves, 35 strikeouts and 17 walks in 37 1/3 innings of relief. He also had three holds last month.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien (shoulder) was given clearance to play catch on Monday after an MRI on his right shoulder yielded encouraging results, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. There was concern that O'Brien would require a trip to the 15-day injured list as a result of extra soreness and tightness in his shoulder, but it appears he'll avoid going on the shelf. O'Brien was able to throw from around 120 feet on Monday without any issues, putting him on track to return in the next couple of days. The 30-year-old has been one of the Cardinals' top relievers this season, having recorded a 1.69 ERA (3.42 xERA) with a 1.13 WHIP, 35:17 K:BB, six holds, and two saves in 37 1/3 innings.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien (shoulder) is dealing with fatigue in his right shoulder and could go on the 15-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The Cardinals will know more on Monday after a doctor examines O'Brien. Since the Cardinals traded closer Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets in late July, O'Brien (two) and lefty JoJo Romero (five) are the only relievers on the team to collect multiple saves. If O'Brien has to miss time, it could lead to more opportunities for Romero and Kyle Leahy, who secured his first save on Saturday. Regardless, losing O'Brien would be a blow to the Cardinals' bullpen, as the 30-year-old has pitched to a stingy 1.69 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP, 35:17 K:BB, and six holds in 37 1/3 innings. UPDATE: After underging an MRI exam on his sore right shoulder on Monday morning, O'Brien is being shut down for now until a course of action is set.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien closed out the Los Angeles Dodgers to nab his first career save in a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. The right-hander took over for lefty JoJo Romero with two outs and a man on first in the bottom of the eighth, and he induced a Teoscar Hernandez groundout to end the inning. O'Brien stayed in for the ninth and tossed a scoreless frame with one walk to secure the save. With the team having traded closer Ryan Helsley at last week's trade deadline, O'Brien, Romero, and Kyle Leahy are among the candidates for saves in St. Louis. Romero has tallied two saves since the deadline, but the Cardinals brought him into the game to face lefty-swinging slugger Shohei Ohtani in the seventh with two outs, a runner on, and the Dodgers leading 3-2. Romero struck out Ohtani and ended up getting the win after the Cardinals took the lead for good in the top of the eighth. Without another southpaw in their bullpen, the Cardinals will continue using Romero before the ninth if he's available to face a tough lefty hitter like Ohtani. That figures to limit his save opportunities to some degree.