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And two more closers bite the dust.

Those who began the week owning the Orioles' George Sherrill and the Mets' Billy Wagner probably thought the biggest problem on their team wouldn't be the bullpen. While Sherrill struggled a bit during the past few weeks, he remained on pace for 40 saves. There was little indication his health was a concern.

For Wagner, his elbow was definitely a concern, but his disabled list stint was supposed to end with him being activated for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Instead, it's possible fantasy owners won't be getting any saves from either of these guys for a while, and maybe not until 2009.

In Baltimore the Sherrill injury came as quite a surprise. The only problems the strikeout lefty appeared to be having were with his command, not his arm. However, Monday Sherrill wasn't able to properly warm up, citing a sore shoulder, and Tuesday the Orioles announced their closer was DL-bound with shoulder inflammation. It's possible Sherrill doesn't miss more than a couple weeks, and is closing again by September 1, but then again, it could be quite a bit longer. The Orioles would like to find their closer for 2009, and since Sherrill can become a free agent in October, this gives the team a golden opportunity to find someone else from within.

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Jim Johnson is probably going to get the first chance to close, since he's been the team's top setup man. Johnson entered Tuesday with team-leading marks of 19 holds and a 2.37 ERA. He doesn't overpower hitters at all, with a mere 35 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings, but the extreme groundballer has yet to allow a home run all season. Sherrill has 31 of the team's 33 saves (and the Orioles only have 60 wins, so he's been involved in more than half the team's victories), with Johnson and Lance Cormier closing the other games. Cormier is not likely to be in the mix for saves. If anyone challenges Johnson, it is probably hard-throwing right-hander Dennis Sarfate, a major strikeout guy who recently bombed in four starts, sporting a 10.34 ERA. As a relief pitcher, however, Sarfate has a 3.78 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 50 innings. The former Astro acquired in the Miguel Tejada deal profiles as a closer, not a starter, so while most fantasy owners flock to Johnson, take a gamble on Sarfate, too, for he's likely to be in the mix next spring as well.

Being a last-place team, the Orioles can afford to take chances and see what works, but the New York Mets do not have this luxury. Wagner did not come off the DL Monday, his return delayed with more elbow pain. On Tuesday, the team released a statement that Wagner continues to have swelling and pain and will need additional rest before throwing any more. This is obviously not a good sign. Wagner admitted he's frustrated, and wants to be on the mound, but doesn't know when he will return.

Say what you will about Aaron Heilman -- and that he's available in six of every 10 ESPN standard leagues speaks volumes -- but he's the favorite to accrue the most saves for the Mets the rest of the way. Heilman has been inconsistent to say the least, but he is having great success against right-handed hitters. Heilman has allowed a .593 OPS to right-handers this season, with only two home runs. Lefties are hitting .320 off Heilman, more than 100 points higher than right-handers, with seven home runs. It would seem wise to have Heilman and southpaw Pedro Feliciano continue to share the closing duties, as manager Jerry Manuel can match these pitchers up. Flushing's Finest can't call its bullpen a strength, but it has done a passable job since Wagner left the active roster.

Nobody else on the Mets staff would appear to be in the mix. Duaner Sanchez has seen a dip in velocity, and did not pitch well against the Pirates over the weekend. Joe Smith certainly won't be relied upon. Eddie Kunz was supposed to get his shot, but tried to blow a six-run lead over the weekend and got demoted to Triple-A New Orleans when Luis Ayala was acquired from the Washington Nationals. Ayala has an ERA of 5.75, and no closing experience, so it's unlikely he'll be unveiled as a late-inning guy. Even John Maine and Oliver Perez have been mentioned as potential closers, but the Mets aren't sitting on extra starting pitchers to replace them, either.

No matter whom the Orioles end up going with, and how the Mets' situation shakes out, fantasy owners probably aren't going to get maximum performance from either team in terms of the bullpen options.

At this point of the fantasy season, I often see saves as the category most easily made up by fantasy owners, but every so often punted as well. How does that make sense? Well, if you're 10 saves out of moving up a spot, holding on to Joel Hanrahan, who has three saves in nearly a month of closing, with two coming on one day, isn't going to help make up ground. He's not likely to get 10 saves the rest of the year. Might as well punt the stat. However, in one of my leagues there are four teams with 45 saves on the season. There it makes sense to pick up a guy like Heilman, since every save could matter.

And now, back to the normal categories you've come to expect from Relief Efforts each week.

Dan Wheeler, Rays: I don't know about you, but I am getting mighty tired of Troy Percival going on and off the disabled list. Is he brittle, or merely old, and really, does it matter? Percival could return by September 1, but I don't know why the Rays would mess with success. Wheeler and Grant Balfour have been better than Percival anyway. Wheeler is owned in 40 percent of ESPN standard mixed leagues, up 8 percent over the past week, and I think that number should be higher. What if Percival doesn't come back in two weeks? It appears clear from the way manager Joe Maddon has deployed Balfour recently (earlier in games) that Wheeler is the choice. That he enters Wednesday with saves on three consecutive days is another giveaway. And by the way, those of you who still own Al Reyes can let him go, just like the Rays did. It's possible -- let's say probable -- Reyes ends up with another big league team any day now, but I doubt he gets save chances. Even with the Mets!

Brad Ziegler, Athletics: It's been a wonderful story, really, as this submariner went a major league record 39 innings before allowing his first run, but he's given up single runs in each of his past two appearances. Ziegler isn't going to all of a sudden fall apart, but he is not an overpowering hurler by any means, and never has been. He's got 20 strikeouts in 42 innings, a poor rate Todd Jones probably thinks he could still attain, and as the saying goes in fantasy, always buy low and sell high. Ziegler doesn't have much to gain, and he has a lot to lose. He has saves in three of his past four outings, and he's up to 96 percent owned in ESPN standard leagues, but the A's have a number of pitchers who could start picking up saves on a moment's notice. Huston Street would have more value in trade if he was getting saves. Alan Embree saved games in 2007, and in 3 1/3 innings over the past week he has eight strikeouts. Plus, I maintain with all things equal, Joey Devine is going to get a shot to be in the closer mix in the spring. Ziegler's perfect ERA is already gone, and it has nowhere to go but up, so be careful not to overrate this Cinderella story.

David Riske, Brewers: Sure, it's a bit of a risk to own this fella, but a week ago we called Jensen Lewis the guy to watch, and that turned out OK. It's not a stretch to say the Brewers are looking for someone to step up as Salomon Torres is dealing with a groin problem, and Eric Gagne is largely unusable in close games. Riske really hasn't pitched all that well since the All-Star break, despite his 2.08 ERA in that span. He's walking nearly a batter per inning, and in most outings he's putting men on base. Of course, none of that matters if opportunity comes his way, so keep an eye on Torres. I think we'll all be talking about minor league Rule V pick Joe Bateman by the spring, and maybe in September, but for now it has to be Torres and Riske in Milwaukee.

Dennys Reyes, Twins: I've come to trust the Minnesota organization when it comes to relief pitching. Joe Nathan is a rock at the back of the bullpen, and while Juan Rincon is no longer with the team and Matt Guerrier isn't very safe these days, someone has been setting Nathan up well. The portly Reyes was a monster in 2006, fashioning a 0.89 ERA in 66 games, and after a bad 2007, he's worth something again. He's already at 16 holds, which ties his mark from 2006, and he's striking hitters out. In three of his past four outings Reyes has recorded a strikeout for each out he's registered. We'd like to see him pitch more innings, of course, but at least he's safe again. Jesse Crain is also back on track after a lost 2007.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Jonathan Broxton owners need not panic, but the hard-throwing right-hander has been far from perfect this month, and others have been getting chances on the days he's been unavailable. Broxton has lost twice in the past week, his post-break ERA is 4.15 and his road ERA is 4.43. I still think Broxton keeps this job now and in 2009, and he's a potential 40-save guy moving forward, so don't worry about him in fantasy. The Dodgers have played much better since the Manny Ramirez trade, and Broxton can't pitch every day. Hong-Chih Kuo and Chan Ho Park each have saves in August, and Jason Johnson was on his way to a three-inning save against the Brewers over the weekend before he and Park blew the lead. The Dodgers didn't want to break up a strong bullpen, one which hasn't skipped a beat since Takashi Saito was injured, so trading for Greg Maddux is smart, but don't forget he's a six-inning pitcher, which tends to tax a bullpen.

Francisco Rodriguez update time! The Angels' right-hander blew a save against the Mariners last week, allowing three earned runs, but remains on pace to shatter Bobby Thigpen's single-season save mark. K-Rod has greatly reduced his walk rate, issuing one free pass in his past nine outings, but his strikeout rate has also taken a slight dip. & Jensen Lewis still sports a WHIP on the wrong side of 1.50, but he's clearly Cleveland's closer, and should be owned in more leagues. Lewis needs to lower his walk rate to have consistent success. At this point, Rafael Perez appears no threat to get saves. & Brad Lidge still hasn't blown a save as a Phillie, and he protected a pair of one-run leads in San Diego over the weekend, not allowing a hit in either game. & Todd Jones is back on the DL for the Tigers, likely ending any shot he'll be in line for saves this season. Fernando Rodney hasn't needed much help lately; he's unscored upon in his past nine innings. & Kerry Wood saved a weekend game in Florida, his first in more than a month. Don't drop Carlos Marmol, but don't expect any more saves, either. & The Mariners have one save since the All-Star break, and Brandon Morrow got it. J.J. Putz has two blown saves in August, and his command certainly seems a bit off. In 2006-07 combined, he walked 26 hitters; already this year, with two DL stints, he's issued 24 free passes.

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com who covers fantasy baseball, football and basketball. He has twice been honored as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can e-mail him here.