It seemed to be a sign of relief when the initial diagnosis for Zach Britton's forearm strain was just that and the UCL sustained no damage, but the Baltimore Orioles couldn't breathe a full sigh of relief. Given the setback Britton had just a few days ago, the team reportedly will take extreme caution and keep its closer sidelined for the next 45-60 days.
Britton, 29, missed two weeks earlier in the season with a forearm strain when the Orioles deemed the injury to not be overly serious and he would just miss the minimum amount of time. Britton wound up missing just over two weeks and when he returned, something still didn't seem right
In his two appearances off the disabled list, Britton just didn't pitch to his normal ability and the soreness in the forearm returned quickly. Now the Orioles will likely play it even more cautiously with Britton and we could be looking at a three-plus week absence.
If Britton is indeed sidelined until near the All Star Break, Brad Brach becomes a top-seven fantasy closer. He has converted seven of eight save opportunities in Britton's absence and locked down the job.
Brach has dominated this season with just 10 hits and five runs allowed in 18 2/3 innings pitched. Pair that with Brach's 18/7 K/BB ratio and you've got yourself a premium closer.