Percival no threat to Isringhausen .... at least not yet

	Troy Percival could become a valuable setup man for the Cardinals. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

By Brooks Peck, Special to SI.com, ProFantasySports.com

Sound the alarm and wake the kids -- there's another well-established closer in St. Louis' bullpen. Not only that, but the very same day the Cardinals activated Troy Percival, No. 12 on the all-time saves list, Jason Isringhausen (No. 24 on the list) blew his second save of the season in a game against the Mets.

Could this have been a sign that Izzy realizes his impending doom and simply cannot bear the pressure of knowing Percival is looking over his shoulder and plotting his own triumphant return after a two-year layoff, or was this merely a coincidence? Well, considering Vince McMahon doesn't work for the Cardinals, I'd have to say this was probably a coincidence. And, to be perfectly honest, there probably isn't much for those invested in Isringhausen to worry about here.

Yes, Percival is one of the best closers in recent memory, and the shoulder problems that caused him to retire two years ago could now be a thing of the past thanks to his extended rest, as he claims, but Isringhausen simply isn't pitching like a man needing to be replaced this season. He has blown just two saves in 16 chances, which isn't surprising considering his 1.72 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Plus, he went through all of May without allowing a single run in 10 2/3 innings pitched.

With that said, the only way Percival figures to jump into the closer's job would be if Isringhausen gets hurt, which wouldn't be unprecedented -- just ask Adam Wainwright. Of course, even if Isringhausen does stay healthy all season, Percival still figures to serve an important role in the Cardinals' pen as a setup man, which could make him valuable in fantasy leagues that count holds. Aside from that, though, there really isn't too much to get excited about here. At least, not yet.

As you consider just how many shots with a folding chair it would take for Percival to reinjure Isringhausen's hip, let's take a look at a few bullpen situations from around the league:

Athletics: Rich Harden's move to the bullpen coinciding with Alan Embree's back-to-back ugly outings could be cause for rumors of a switch, but that appears unlikely at the moment. Aside from those two poor showings, Embree has been a solid closer for Oakland, converting eight of 10 save opportunities thus far. Meanwhile, young Santiago Casilla continues to dominate as the club's second in line for saves, with his 0.89 ERA and 0.57 WHIP. As for Harden, well, he's still dealing with shoulder aches as he just begins to get his feet wet as a reliever.

While all that's fine and good for now, the A's official Web site reports that Justin Duchscherer will probably take up closing duties once he returns from the DL, which will most likely be after the All-Star break.

Cubs: With Ryan Dempster on the DL for a strained oblique, Bob Howry becomes the temporary closer for the Cubbies. Although Howry did notch 28 saves with the White Sox in 1999, his two saves in four chances this season is just about on par with his career conversion rate. While that isn't at all reassuring for Cubs fans, Howry should be a serviceable replacement until Dempster is able to return. Just don't expect Howry to pull a Kevin Gregg and earn himself a shot at closing even after Dempster returns.

Nationals: I hate to sound like a broken record, but Chad Cordero blew another save the other day, giving him six on the season in 19 chances. He is now one away from the career high of seven blown saves he accumulated over 54 chances in 2005. As I've said before, he can't keep blowing saves at this clip and keep his job all year. Be ready to grab Jon Rauch, Saul Rivera, or both whenever the Nats finally get fed up with Cordero.

Phillies: Just to update the injury situation here, as the six-fingered wonder, Antonio Alfonseca, starts to show signs of weakness (opponents are now hitting .313 off him), the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Tom Gordon "could return before the All-Star break", while Brett Myers probably won't make it back until after the break. For those keeping score, that means neither will make the target return date of July 1 both were shooting for this time last week.

Reds: Last week we discussed the possibility of Eddie Guardado stealing the closer's job back from Dave Weathers upon his return to the Reds' bullpen. Well, it looks like we might have to wait a bit more to see if that happens since Guardado was unable to throw batting practice on Tuesday as a result of tightness in his forearm. While this isn't a major setback, it shows Everyday Eddie still has a little ways to go before he can actually live up to his moniker.

Brooks Peck covers baseball for ProFantasySports.com. He can be reached at brookspeck@profantasysports.com.