I can’t think of a time when closer situations have been uglier, but I’m sure that they have been. Two contenders - the Cardinals and Brewers - are working through some bullpen woes in their pursuit of a National League Central crown. Two other contenders await - the Braves and Indians - await the return of their full-time closers from the disabled list.

There will be more upheaval as the season wears on, but here’s a closer look at five turbulent bullpen situations and what we think will unfold in the coming weeks.

St. Louis Cardinals
First, veteran Jason Isringhausen was relieved of his closing duties. Then, he was placed on the disabled list with a laceration on his pitching hand, allegedly from punching a TV out of frustration. Ryan Franklin has emerged as the top option, but Russ Springer is also in the mix, should matchups be in his favor. But, watch how rookie Chris Perez enters the fray. He’s seen by most to be the franchise’s closer of the future, so if Franklin stumbles, he could move past Springer and take over ninth-inning duties.

Cleveland Indians
Joe Borowski’s return from the disabled list (triceps) may not be the end of this saga. Until that point, which could be as early as this weekend, Masa Kobayashi, Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez and Jensen Lewis will be candidates to close games. If Borowski can’t get the job done upon his return, look for manager Eric Wedge to avoid the closer by committee situation and name a singular replacement. At this point, Kobayashi would be the guy.

Milwaukee Brewers
Eric Gagne spent about 24 hours as a setup man, then re-claimed the closer role and picked up a save in his only appearance since. Should Gagne stumble again, which is a distinct possibility, this situation will get ugly. Replacement candidates Guillermo Mota and Salomon Torres both have similar credentials to close, which will result in a 50/50 split as the best-case scenario. The worst-case will be that left-handed specialist Brian Shouse jumps in and complicates the situation further.

Atlanta Braves
With the hazy return dates of John Smoltz (shoulder) and Rafael Soriano (elbow) from the disabled list, Manny Acosta will be the Braves’ closer until further notice. Soriano should beat Smoltz back from the disabled list, which should, in turn, push Acosta back into eighth-inning duties. The real wild card is when Smoltz returns, though the 42-year old doesn’t sound confident that it will happen by the end of this month. Smoltz’s health is the long-term key to how this situation plays out.

Texas Rangers
A couple more bad outings, and lefty Eddie Guardado and righty Joaquin Benoit will become serious threats to current closer C.J. Wilson’s job. Guardado and Benoit will get occasional work, says manager Ron Washington, and they will be primed to take over if Wilson crashes and Burns. Wilson has had his struggles, but has only blown one save this season. It will take a chain of blowups for him to lose his job.

More closer thoughts …
Crooked Pitch ranks its top 15 closers.

The Fantasy Fanatic gives you five overvalued stoppers to avoid in trades.

Future Red Birds relays the excitement of Cardinals’ fans about Perez.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryDiamond.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.