Texas Rangers relievers have been exposed in August, with a 5.16 ERA and three blown saves in seven games. Chris Martin’s left calf strain, suffered July 21, clouds the late-inning picture as he advances from fielding practice to a light bullpen, live batting practice, and a rehab stint. The front office tried to shore things up at the deadline with Phil Maton and Danny Coulombe, but the bullpen remains a concern for fantasy managers tracking holds and saves.

Martin’s return could re-establish a trusted late-inning option, while Maton and Coulombe provide depth behind him. Monitor Martin’s rehab timeline closely; if he progresses quickly, expect a reshuffling of high-leverage roles and more stable save chances. Until then, Maton and Coulombe are the most plausible routes for holds, with Martin as a potential upgrade once he’s ramped back up.

Texas placed Jon Gray on waivers, with the 33-year-old right-hander going unclaimed and continuing to occupy a $3 million slice of the Rangers’ payroll this season. The move could be revisited before the Aug. 31 cutoff, as Texas weighs the CBT consequences while trying to stay beneath penalties tied to overages.

The club has previously used waivers to manage payroll, a tactic echoed last year with Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski—Grossman claimed by Kansas City, Jankowski remaining with Texas after an unclaimed waiver.

At the trade deadline, Texas added Danny Coulombe, Phil Maton and Merrill Kelly to bolster relief depth. Gray has struggled, posting a 7.71 ERA across six bullpen appearances since returning from a spring-hand fracture, including a rough 2 1/3-innings stint in a 14-2 loss to Toronto.

Offense has sunk post-deadline, and the bullpen is being asked to adjust, per Bruce Bochy. Texas has four straight losses in a slide that complicates postseason math and payroll considerations as Marcus Semien heads for X-rays after a pitch hit him.

Overall, the waiver move underscores a payroll-management tilt while Texas navigates late-season roster volatility and tries to salvage meaningful innings from a bullpen-impaired stretch run.

Texas’ late-game bullpen woes have overshadowed a solid Jacob deGrom start and left the Rangers mired in a rough stretch as they slide under .500. Three straight late-inning meltowns by high-leverage arms, including Coulombe and Maton, have undone a 3-0 lead after deGrom’s five scoreless innings, with Higashioka delivering a three-run blast for Toronto. Bochy’s juggling of the bullpen — and his plan to reintroduce deGrom and softer entry points for Garcia — underscores a broader season-long struggle: Texas’ bottom-five offense must find a spark in the final 40 games. The Jays rallied with a Kirk two-run shot and Barger's RBI single, turning a potential Texas win into a heartbreaking loss as the series opened at Rogers Centre. Houston remains atop the West, while the Rangers chase the difficult path to a postseason spot, needing sharper bullpen performance and more timely offense in a seven-game stretch that could define their roster leverage down the stretch.

Beyond the bullpen chaos, the Rangers leaned on deGrom’s best start in weeks, but the damage came from running out of late-inning answers. The club’s offseason bullpen depth had carried them for much of the season, but injuries and timing have pinched the back end. Milner’s usage and Garcia’s return plan loom large as Bochy navigates a crowded bullpen with Chris Martin sidelined by a calf setback. The Jays’ late rally underscored how quickly momentum can swing in a 6-5 loss, forcing Texas to recalibrate its closing and setup roles as they push toward a daunting remaining schedule.

Week 21 closes the door to steady saves but opens multiple holds and bullpen plays. Dennis Santana remains the Pirates closer, with a chance at multiple save chances in a week. Jose A. Ferrer grabbed his first Nationals save and looks locked into late-inning work, even if not a high-volume shooter. Houston’s Bryan Abreu steps into the closer role while Josh Hader recovers, creating immediate fantasy value for saves. Randy Rodríguez lands in a true closer role with the Giants, and Phil Maton is the Rangers’ late-inning option, both solid adds in holds leagues and possible saves. Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano inherit ninth-inning chances in Baltimore, while Justin Topa and Cole Sands offer speculative saves in Minnesota. Michael Kelly and Sean Newcomb give Athletics and Boston some late-game leverage, and JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien share ninth-inning duties for St. Louis. Kenley Jansen tops the saves leaders this week, with Matt Strahm handling holds for Philadelphia, and Detroit’s closer scene showing a committee with Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest. The Rockies’ bullpen era sees Seth Halvorsen in late-inning scenarios with potential saves, while Victor Vodnik lurks in the back of the bullpen. In short, plan for more one-off saves and a handful of holds as teams navigate post-deadline roles and injuries.