Fantasy Baseball: Braves Bringing Back Craig Kimbrel Amid Closer Role Uncertainty

The Atlanta Braves have gone from a team with a plethora of valuable fantasy assets to one with underachieving players seemingly overnight. But after Atlanta's latest disappointment, there may be a new opportunity for fantasy managers.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday afternoon the Braves are calling up 37-year-old Craig Kimbrel from Triple-A. The nine-time All-Star will join a bullpen that's trying to pick up the pieces after blowing a six-run lead in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

In the wake of today’s ninth-inning collapse, the Braves are summoning Craig Kimbrel from Triple A, source tells @TheAthletic
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 5, 2025

It was the first time the Braves lost a game where they entered the ninth inning with a six-run lead since 1973.

Braves closer Raisel Iglesias suffered the blown save and loss. The right-hander was incredible for fantasy managers last season, posting a 6-2 record, 1.95 ERA, 0.736 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 69.1 innings for Atlanta.

This season, Iglesias is 3-5 with a 6.75 ERA, 1.542 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 24 frames.

Over the last month, Iglesias has lost three games and suffered two blown saves. He's also allowed 11 earned runs with 20 hits and four walks in 10 innings.

Immediately after Thursday's collapse, Braves manager Brian Snitker seemed lukewarm, at best, about Iglesias staying the team's closer.

"We'll talk about that. This is so fresh right now," Snitker said to a question about changing Iglesias' role. "I've got a thousand things going through my mind, and that's an option.

"That's definitely an option."

Kimbrel gives them that option. Kimbrel was arguably the top closer to own in fantasy leagues from 2011-18. He spent the first four years of that eight-season span with the Braves and led the National League in saves all four seasons.

From 2011-18, Kimbrel posted a 1.97 ERA and racked up 332 saves.

Obviously, the end of that stretch was seven years ago. Now 37 years old, Kimbrel isn't the same pitcher. With the Baltimore Orioles last season, he posted a 5.33 ERA and 1.357 WHIP.

But fantasy managers desperate for closer production should take a flier on Kimbrel. In the Braves minor league organization this season, he has gone 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.944 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings.

He registered a 2.45 ERA and 1.091 WHIP at Triple-A Gwinnett. Those numbers give hope, at least to the Braves, that Kimbrel can at least be a serviceable reliever for the rest of the season.

With the current status of the Atlanta bullpen, if Kimbrel is "serviceable," he could very well become the team's closer. Few other relievers in the Braves bullpen have performed well lately.

Kimbrel is still a strikeout pitcher. He recorded a 12.6 K/9 rate with the Orioles last season. So, at the very least, he will contribute strikeouts.

To excel in two fantasy categories, he will probably have to move into the Braves closer role. Atlanta will also have to give its bullpen more save opportunities.

Yes, the Braves blew a save opportunity Wednesday, but Atlanta is 3-11 in its past 14 games. They are playing from behind a lot.

But again, fantasy managers in need of a new reliever could consider immediately adding Kimbrel. The potential opening in the Braves ninth-inning role and the possibility of better days ahead for an Atlanta team expected to be a playoff contender gives Kimbrel some upside.