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King is likely to move into a setup role with the Astros in the wake of the expected activation of closer Josh Hader (biceps) from the injured list Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Bryan Abreu was expected to step into the closer role with Hader sidelined to begin the season, but his early struggles opened the door for King, who leads the team with six saves. With Hader coming back to reclaim the ninth inning, King should now slide into a setup role. He's been effective with a 2.84 ERA across 25.1 innings this year, though his 1.30 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB are a bit underwhelming.
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Astros' Bryan King: Suffers blown save Friday
Rotowire
King was charged with a blown save Friday against the Brewers, allowing an inherited runner to score on one hit across 1.2 innings.
After Bryan Abreu came on and walked the first two batters he faced to begin the top of the eighth inning, Abreu got a flyout and was pulled in favor of King, who induced a game-tying RBI groundout from Jake Bauers. King retired five of the six batters he faced, but it was officially his third blown save of the season. The left-hander owns a 2.84 ERA and 19:10 K:BB across 25.1 innings this season. With Josh Hader (biceps) extremely close to making his 2026 season debut, King should soon settle into a setup role.
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Astros' Bryan King: Notches another save
Rotowire
King picked up a save against the Cubs on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over one scoreless inning.
King had a nice three-run cushion when he entered in the ninth inning. The left-hander gave up a two-out single but got Michael Busch on a lineout to end the game. King has notched a save on back-to-back days and is now 6-for-8 on save chances this season. He seems to be the Astros' current top ninth-inning option, but that will likely change when Josh Hader (biceps) returns to big-league action, which could happen by the end of May.
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Astros' Bryan King: Notches fifth save
Rotowire
King worked 1.1 scoreless innings Friday to record his fifth save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Cubs. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.
The only baserunner to get aboard against King came on a Jeremy Pena throwing error with two outs in the eighth inning, but the southpaw got Nico Hoerner to ground out to end the threat. King has been splitting closing duties with Bryan Abreu of late, but Josh Hader (bicep) is on track to come off the IL before the end of the month to reclaim that job. King should remain one of the Astros' top setup men once that happens, and through 10.2 innings in May he's posted a 1.69 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, albeit with a 4:4 K:BB.
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Astros' Bryan King: Earns fourth save of season
Rotowire
King recorded his fourth save of the season Friday against the Rangers after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out one.
King recorded the final five outs of the game while tossing 11 of his 17 pitches for strikes. This was a strong bounce-back effort for King, who blew his previous save chance Wednesday against the Mariners and was coming off three straight outings in which he had allowed baserunners. King has a 3.26 ERA in 16 appearances (19.1 innings) this season while going 4-for-6 in save chances thus far in 2026. King should remain as the go-to option for saves in Houston as long as Josh Hader (biceps) remains sidelined. Hader is eligible to return from the 60-day IL on May 24, so King's tenure as the Astros' closer might not last long.
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Astros' Bryan King: Takes blown save
Rotowire
King allowed one run on one hit and three walks while failing to log a strikeout over one inning versus the Mariners on Wednesday. He was charged with a blown save.
King was unable to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning, though the Astros ultimately got the win in the 10th anyway. King has functioned as Houston's closer in May, converting two of three save chances while allowing two runs over six innings. For the season, he has a 3.57 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB through 17.2 innings, and he's converted three of his five save opportunities while adding two holds. King should remain in the closing mix until Josh Hader (biceps) is ready for his season debut.
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Astros' Bryan King: Picks up third save
Rotowire
King earned a save against the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out two batters over two innings.
After Peter Lambert gave Houston seven scoreless frames, King was called upon in the eighth to preserve a 2-0 lead. The southpaw surrendered a run on two hits in the inning but was allowed to return for the ninth, and he worked around a one-out single to close out the Houston victory. King is up to three saves on the campaign and has earned a save in each of his past two appearances, so he's clearly a trusted part of the Astros' high-leverage mix. He could see more save opportunities over the next several weeks, though Josh Hader (biceps) figures to reclaim his closer role once he's ready to be activated from the injured list, which could happen in late May.
King earned his second save of the season Saturday against the Red Sox after retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. He did not record a strikeout.
The Astros deployed Enyel De Los Santos across the fifth and sixth frames of Saturday's game, and manager Joe Espada opted to go with King over Bryan Abreu to protect the team's 6-3 lead in the ninth. King answered the call and needed just six pitches (four strikes) to retire the side. The Astros should continue to use a committee approach to closing duties between King, Abreu and De Los Santos until Josh Hader (biceps) is cleared to return from the 60-day injured list, the earliest of which would take place in late May.
King was charged with his first blown save of the season in Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Guardians, coughing up three runs on two hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. He failed to strike out a batter.
The Astros headed into the bottom of the eighth inning with a 4-2 lead, but Enyel De Los Santos and King combined to surrender six runs in the frame, and the left-hander was the one tagged with the blown save. Manager Joe Espada is still searching for answers at closer with Josh Hader (bicep) on the shelf, and while King stepped up as a reliable high-leverage option over the first few weeks of the season, he's now given up six runs (four earned) over his last two appearances and 2.2 innings. On the season, he carries a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB through 10.2 innings with one save and two holds in nine outings.
King earned the save in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Angels, allowing a hit and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning.
After Bryan Abreu issued a pair of walks to start the ninth, the Astros turned to King to record the final two outs. The left-hander would give up an RBI single to Nolan Schanuel before rebounding to strike out Jorge Soler and Yoan Moncada, logging his first save this season. While Abreu will likely remain Houston's primary ninth-inning option while Josh Hader (biceps) is sidelined, King could see more save chances in the short term, depending on matchups. King posted a 2.05 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP and 76:16 K:BB across 52.2 innings in 2025.
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