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Los Angeles Angels Fantasy Baseball Closer Information and Depth Chart

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Previous updates:

May 25, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri got a night off last night after throwing 35 pitches on Thursday, and Garrett Richards picked up a 1.2 inning save in his absence.  No hierarchy change. 

May 24, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri got knocked around in the 9th inning last night, allowing four baserunners before being lifted for Robert Coello, who got the game’s final out to pick up his first save.  Frieri has now allowed runs in three straight appearances, though he only has one blown save on the season, and with yet another Ryan Madson setback this week, he’s not in danger of losing his job.  Coello’s stats, meanwhile, are worth a peek if you haven’t seen what he’s been doing since being called up in mid-May: 7.1 innings, 12 Ks/0 BBs, 0 ERA, 0.28 WHIP, 1 win, 1 save.  He’s not on the hierarchy just yet, but with those numbers, the Angels might start giving him some hold opportunities soon.  No hierarchy change.

May 15, 2013
Los Angeles Angels - Ryan Madson had a successful rehab appearance on Monday. If all goes well in his next game on Wednesday, he may return from the DL this weekend — although he will not start off as the team’s closer. No hierarchy change.

May 12, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – Garrett Richards pitched a perfect 8th inning with the Angels up one on Saturday.  Richards was recently moved to the bullpen and it looks like he will move into a late inning role.  Also, Ryan Madson could begin a rehab assignment on Monday and, if everything goes well, be back with the Angels by the end of the week.  Hierarchy change: Garret Richards to 2nd in line, replacing Dane De La Rosa.

April 24, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – With Kevin Jepsen on the disabled list with a strained triceps, Scott Downs has been pitching the eighth inning in front of Ernesto Frieri. Downs blew a save last night, the result of an error, but Dane De La Rosa earned the win with two perfect innings of work.  Hierarchy change: Kevin Jepsen to DL, Scott Downs to Set-Up, Dane De La Rosa to 2nd in line.

March 20, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – Ryan Madson, who the Angels hoped would be ready for the start of the season, suffered a setback in his rehabilitation last Thursday.  Ernesto Frieri will close games until Madson gets healthy, at which point the Angels will have to decide with reliever is better suited for the 9th.  No hierarchy change.

February 24, 2013
Los Angeles Angels – Starting 2013 hierarchy: Closer- Ernesto Frieri, Set-up- Kevin Jepsen, 2nd in line- Scott Downs.

September 17, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri was given the night off on Sunday after pitching two days in a row and getting knocked around on Saturday. Kevin Jepsen got the save in his place, but Frieri’s job is not in jeopardy. No hierarchy change.

September 8, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Kevin Jepsen pitched the 8th inning ahead of Ernesto Frieri last night, after Scott Downs was unable to record an out in the 7th. Downs hasn’t been quite as effective as the hard-throwing righty lately, and it’s shown in their usage, as Jepsen has been called on in the 8th inning regularly over the past few weeks. Hierarchy change: Kevin Jepsen to Set-up, Scott Downs to 2nd in line.

August 25, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Garrett Richards got the game’s final two outs on Friday, earning his first save of the year. Richards does not factor in to the Angels usual late inning plans; Ernesto Frieri and Kevin Jepsen were unavailable, having both pitched three games in a row, and Scott Downs had already pitched. No hierarchy change.

August 19, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs was activated from the DL on Saturday. Downs, who has 9 saves on the season, should return to his old set-up role and may occasionally see a save chance as he did before. Hierarchy change: Scott Downs to Set-up, Kevin Jepsen to 2nd in line.

August 1, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs was placed on the DL prior to Tuesday’s game. With a 4-run lead, Kevin Jepsen got out of a jam in the 7th inning before giving way to Jason Isringhausen for the 8th. Ernesto Frieri pitched the 9th in a non-save situation. Hierarchy change: Kevin Jepsen to Set-up, Jason Isringhausen to 2nd in line, Scott Downs to DL.

July 31, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Jerome Williams pitched the last 4 innings of a blowout on Monday, earning his first save. Williams’s outing was pretty hideous (8 hits, 5 ERs), and he doesn’t factor in the the Angels usual late-inning plans. No hierarchy change.

July 28, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Hard-throwing righty Kevin Jepsen pitched the 7th inning last night, and he now has three holds and win this week, all pitching in the 7th inning or later. Jepsen has not allowed a single run since returning from the minors, a span of 11 appearances. Hierarchy change: Kevin Jepsen to 2nd in line, replacing LaTroy Hawkins.

July 24, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs picked up his 9th save of the season on Monday. With one of the strongest bullpens in the bigs, the Angels have the luxury of continuing their pseudo-platoon to keep both Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs fresh. Frieri will still get the great majority of opportunities, however. No hierarchy change.

July 16, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Both Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs were unable to close the game out in the 9th inning against the Yankees on Sunday. After they combined to allow three runs and six baserunners, Kevin Jepsen got the game’s final out, retiring Alex Rodriguez to earn his first save of the season. Jepsen does not figure in to the Angels usual late-inning hierarchy. No hierarchy change.

July 13, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – The Angels have the best closer/set-up combo in the majors with Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs. They’re leading the Wild Card race so are obviously not selling, and any acquisitions they make are unlikely to affect their hierarchy. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None.

July 8, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – With two lefties due up in the 9th, the Angels went to Scott Downs. He pitched a perfect inning for his 8th save. Ernesto Frieri is still the closer but Downs will continue to get saves if both continue to get the job done. No hierarchy change.

July 3, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs cleaned up Jered Weaver’s mess in the 8th inning of a 3-0 game on Monday, and then stayed on for the lefty-heavy ninth to earn his 7th save. Downs remains arguably the best set-up man in baseball, but will only see occasional save opportunities if Ernesto Frieri’s dominance continues. No hierarchy change.

July 2, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Jordan Walden gave up 3 runs last night and saw his ERA climb to 3.96. LaTroy Hawkins, meanwhile, has given up just 1 run in 8 innings since returning from the DL and has a 1.10 ERA on the season. Hierarchy change: LaTroy Hawkins to 2nd in line, replacing Jordan Walden.

June 21, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs pitched the 8th inning last night, earning his 12th hold of the year. But Ernesto Frieri has now gotten 8 of the last 11 save opportunities for the Angels, and since Downs’s return from a minor injury to his side, he’s been used exclusively as a set-up man. The platoon is over; it’s now Frieri’s job for good. No hierarchy change.

June 11, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs picked up the save last night, but looked a bit shaky, giving up his first earned run of the season. Since Ernesto Frieri got his first opportunity, the Angels have given Downs three save chances, while Frieri has gotten four. While there’s no end in sight to the platoon, Frieri still stands to get a few more opportunities than Downs. No hierarchy change.

June 2, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs pitched the 8th and still has not given up a run for the Angels. However, Ernesto Frieri came on for the save in the 9th and has yet to give up a hit in 13 innings since coming over to the Angels. Downs may still get some chances based on match-ups but Frieri should see the majority of save opps going forward. No hierarchy change.

May 28, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – The Angels continue to employ a true platoon, with Scott Downs picking up the save last night against a lefty-heavy top of the lineup for the Mariners. “Right now, we’re going to just slot them in when they have a chance to get outs,” said Mike Scioscia to the Los Angeles Times. As a righty, Ernesto Frieri still has the best shot to earn a save on any given night, but Downs has been just as reliable. No hierarchy change.

May 26, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs recorded the save on Friday, pitching a clean 9th inning. Ernesto Frieri will still get the majority of saves in the Angels’ closer-by-committee. No hierarchy change.

May 24, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri struck three men out in the 11th inning, nailing down his first career save. Frieri has been nothing short of dazzling (8.2 IPs, 0 ERs, 0 hits, 19 Ks) since being acquired from the Padres. While Mike Scioscia said he would still like to use Scott Downs in the 9th on occasion, Frieri’s dominance means he’ll get the majority of the opportunities going forward. Hierarchy change: Ernesto Frieri to Closer, Scott Downs to Set-up.

May 19, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – On Friday, Scott Downs pitched the 8th inning in a 2-run game, and Ernesto Frieri came out for the 9th. By then, the Angels had tacked on 3 additional runs, so it wasn’t a save opportunity, but Mike Scioscia told the Orange County Register after the game that the 9th inning role was in flux. “We’re going to mix and match a little bit,” Scioscia said. “It’s really just a matchup situation. It might change tomorrow.” Based on their usage and Scioscia’s comments, Frieri appears to be on the verge of winning the permanent job. Scott Downs to Hot Seat.

May 12, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – The injury to Scott Downs is not serious and he should avoid a trip to the DL. He will take over as the closer again now that he is healthy. Hierarchy change: Scott Downs to closer, Ernesto Frieri to Set-up, Jordan Walden to 2nd in line.

May 7, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs was helped off the field after sustaining an apparent knee injury in the 9th inning on Sunday. He will undergo evaluation, but he was spotted on crutches after the game, so he’s likely to miss at least a few days. LaTroy Hawkins also was injured in the game, and while the Angels did not name a new closer, Mike Scioscia appears to be reluctant to give the closer job back to Jordan Walden, instead mentioning Ernesto Frieri as a possible candidate. Hierarchy change: Scott Downs injured, Ernesto Frieri to Closer, Jason Isringhausen to 2nd in line.

May 6, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri, recently acquired from the Padres, was handed a 4-run lead in the 9th inning and was dominant, striking out the side against the Blue Jays. Frieri has a 2.13 ERA and 21 Ks in just 12.2 innings and should quickly establish himself as a key part of the Angels bullpen. Hierarchy change: Ernesto Frieri to 2nd in line, replacing LaTroy Hawkins.

May 1, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – The ageless LaTroy Hawkins is sporting a 1.17 ERA and bridged the gap to new closer Scott Downs on Monday. Hierarchy change: LaTroy Hawkins to 2nd in line, replacing Jason Isringhausen.

April 27, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Mike Scioscia has decided to give Scott Downs a chance at closing out games. Hierarchy change: Scott Downs to Closer, Jordan Walden to Set-up.

April 17, 2012
Los Angeles Angels – Scott Downs returned from his injury last night, pitching a clean 8th inning in a 3-run game. Hierarchy change: Scott Downs to Set-up, Jason Isringhausen to 2nd in line.

April 13, 2012
Los Angeles Angels- Set-up man Scott Downs suffered a gruesome ankle injury on Thursday, and was seen on crutches after the game. The Angels have yet to determine whether to place him on the DL, but he’ll likely miss some action. In the mean time, the Angels could look to Jason Isringhausen, who is spotless in three outings so far this year and has surpassed LaTroy Hawkins on the depth chart, to close games on nights that Jordan Walden is unavailable. Hierarchy change: Jason Isringhausen to Set-up, replacing Scott Downs.

March 28, 2012
Los Angeles Angels- Young fireballer Jordan Walden continues to anchor the Angels bullpen, with steady Scott Downs setting up. The 7th inning role is not well defined yet, but in the event of injuries to Walden and Downs, Latroy Hawkins would be the likely candidate to close. Starting 2012 hierarchy: Closer- Jordan Walden, Set-Up- Scott Downs, 2nd in line- LaTroy Hawkins.

Sept. 21, 2011
Los Angeles Angels- The Angels were up 5 runs going into the 9th inning last night, but Garrett Richards got in a little trouble, allowing a run and several baserunners before Scott Downs got a one-out save, his first of the season. No hierarchy change.

Aug. 28, 2011
Los Angeles Angels- Jordan Walden loaded the bases with 1 out and a 4 run lead last night and was pulled for Hisanori Takahashi. Takahashi picked up the save by getting a game ending double play. Walden is still the closer and Downs had already pitched the 8th but Takahashi moves ahead of Fernando Rodney. Takahasi to 2nd in line, replacing Rodney.