3 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Replacements for Craig Kimbrel After Knee Injury Pushes Closer to IL

Craig Kimbrel dominated the headlines early this MLB season, as he wasn't signed by the Chicago Cubs until June. While the Kimbrel sweepstakes was won by the Cubbies, the closer hasn't pitched well in 2019, posting a 5.68 ERA in 12 2/3 innings pitched.

Kimbrel was placed on the IL with knee inflammation, leaving his fantasy baseball owners with a hole at relief pitcher. Here are three potential waiver wire replacements for the Cubs' closer.

3. Diego Castillo, Tampa Bay Rays

Diego Castillo has been solid thus far, converting eight of his nine save opportunities with a 3.59 ERA. He's also been a pretty reliable source of strikeouts this season, tallying 48 Ks in 42 2/3 innings pitched. Castillo is owned in 28 percent of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues and he could be a decent source of both strikeouts and saves in Kimbrel's absence.

2. Seth Lugo, New York Mets

Edwin Diaz has largely underwhelmed as the New York Mets closer in 2019, posting a 5.32 ERA. If Diaz's struggles continue, it could only be a matter of time until Seth Lugo is named the Mets' closer. Lugo has been fantastic this season, with a 2.68 ERA in 53 2/3 innings pitched. He's currently available in 29 percent of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues.

1. Steve Cishek, Chicago Cubs

Steve Cishek is the likeliest candidate to take over closing duties in Kimbrel's absence. He's been a pretty reliable reliever thus far, tallying seven saves with a 2.94 ERA, but his value could spike if he's officially named the team's closer. Cishek is currently owned in 28 percent of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues, so there's a good chance he's available in your league.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.