A former Boston Red Sox star may quickly restart his search for a new team.
After signing him to a minor league contract in March, the Atlanta Braves promoted Craig Kimbrel on Thursday. The nine-time All-Star closer made his 2025 debut on Friday night, pitching in a Braves uniform for the first time in 11 years.
Atlanta apparently wasn’t impressed. On Saturday, the Braves designated Kimbrel for assignment. In a corresponding move, Atlanta recalled left-handed relief pitcher Austin Cox.
The abrupt transaction is even more jarring considering Kimbrel made a relatively triumphant return Friday night. Replacing starter Spencer Schwellenbach in the seventh inning of a 4-4 game, Kimbrel pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
However, Kimbrel didn’t take the conventional path to a goose egg. San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos was caught stealing after hitting a leadoff single. Kimbrel then walked Jung Hoo Lee before picking him off at first base.
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While Kimbrel struck out Wilmer Flores to end the inning, the 37-year-old threw just six strikes in 14 pitches. He garnered one swinging strike and two called strikes while throwing his fastball at a concerningly low average velocity of 91.6 mph.
For comparison, Kimbrel’s heater averaged 97.1 mph when he last pitched for the Red Sox in 2018.
Kimbrel made the All-Star team in each of his three seasons in Boston. He posted a 2.44 ERA with 305 strikeouts in 184 1/3 innings and recorded six postseason saves en route to a 2018 World Series title.
The once-dominant closer fell on hard times last year. Kimbrel registered a 5.33 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles, who designated him for assignment weeks before the playoffs after he relinquished 15 walks and 22 runs in 18 second-half appearances.
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Kimbrel seemed poised to receive a second chance in Atlanta, whose bullpen badly needs a jolt. Braves relievers rank last in the majors with a 6.15 ERA. They allowed seven runs in a disastrous ninth inning of Thursday’s 11-10 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, which prompted manager Brian Snitker to remove Raisel Iglesias from the closer role.
Some onlookers may have wondered if Kimbrel, fifth on the all-time saves leaderboard, could work his way back into the ninth-inning conversation. Instead, the Braves have seven days to trade or waive him.
Should he remain in limbo following that period, he could return to Triple-A Gwinnett as a depth option for Atlanta.
