Craig Kimbrel is no longer the superstar he was the first time he pitched for the Atlanta Braves.
The 37-year-old began his illustrious career in Atlanta, winning Rookie of the Year in 2011. He went on to make nine All-Star teams, four of them as a member of the Braves, and has racked up 440 career saves, the fifth-most of all pitchers in Major League Baseball history.
On Mar. 18, Kimbrel signed a minor league contract with the Braves, coming off a brutal second half of the 2024 season that saw him released by the Baltimore Orioles. He began his season with Triple-A Gwinnett on Apr. 14 and has excelled against minor league competition.
Meanwhile, the Braves are floundering, and their bullpen is at an all-time low after Thursday's fiasco. Scott Blewett and closer Raisel Iglesias combined to blow a 10-4 lead with the bases empty and one out in the top of the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Apparently, that's what it took to get Kimbrel back in the big leagues. According to a report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Braves are calling up the right-hander for a 16th major league season.
Interestingly, Kimbrel also had a clause in his contract that allowed any other club to sign him away from Atlanta if they had a major league roster spot to give him, though Atlanta would have first had the opportunity to call him up to their active roster.
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There has been no report at the time of publication that any other team attempted to make such a move.
Kimbrel had a 2.00 ERA (four earned runs) in 18 innings pitched with Gwinnett, striking out 23, walking nine, and allowing just eight hits.
It's unlikely Kimbrel will take over the closer role, but it still may be time to do something about Iglesias, who now has a 6.75 ERA for the season after being charged with three earned runs and picking up his fourth blown save.
At 27-34, the Braves are starting to watch their season slip away. Calling up Kimbrel can't be the only move that saves them, but it's at least a start.
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