Minor League Baseball

Craig Kimbrel Actually Made Wild Minor League Baseball History This Week

Kimbrel was DFA'd on Saturday after making his season debut with the Atlanta Braves, he still became the first member of the Columbus Clingstones to make the majors.
Brady Farkas|
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2024.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2024. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

In this story:

Atlanta Braves

SATURDAY AM: Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Braves on Saturday after throwing one inning on Friday night. However, he still made some fun minor league history with his big-league appearance. He became the first member of the Columbus Clingstones to make the majors. The Clingstones are the Double-A affiliate of the Braves and just began play this year.

They have previously been known as the Mississippi Braves.

THURSDAY PM: After they allowed seven runs in the ninth inning in an 11-10 loss on Thursday, the Atlanta Braves are promoting possible Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel from Triple-A Gwinnett. Ken Rosenthal of 'The Athletic' had the information.

He signed a minor-league deal with the Braves back on March 18 and has been working his way through the minor leagues since then. He's appeared in 18 games this season across multiple levels, going 0-0 with a 2.00 ERA. He's recorded two saves, striking out 23 batters in 18.0 innings. He had a 0.94 WHIP.

A 15-year veteran, Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year winner and a World Series champion (2018). He's played for the Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles.

He served as the O's closer last year, struggling to the tune of a 5.33 ERA in 57 games. He had 23 saves. Lifetime, he has 440 saves, which is good enough for fifth on the all-time list behind Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Kenley Jansen.

The Braves are one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season, sitting at 27-34 after Thursday's loss. Scott Blewett and Raisel Iglesias combined to blow the game on Thursday, and it's unclear exactly which role Kimbrel will slot into.

The Braves will be back in action on Friday night when they take on the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. First pitch is 10:15 p.m. ET.

Related MLB Stories

CONTINUING ON: Luke Voit, who led baseball in home runs in the pandemic-2020 season, will continue his career in Japan. CLICK HERE:

ON THE MOVE? Jarren Duran, who won the All-Star Game MVP last year, is drawing trade interest from the San Diego Padres. CLICK HERE:

ELLY THE MAN: Elly De La Cruz, still just 23, is in a rare and elite class of baseball history for the Cincinnati Reds. CLICK HERE:

Published | Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

Home/NEWS