In a surprising move on Saturday, the Atlanta Braves designated Craig Kimbrel for assignment after just one appearance with the team. The veteran reliever threw a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and a walk, but escaped trouble thanks to a caught stealing and a pickoff. He ended the outing on a high note, striking out the final batter with a well-placed 93 MPH fastball. While it wasn’t a dominant showing, it was effective—and given the Braves’ unproven bullpen options, the decision raised some eyebrows.
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Atlanta replaced Kimbrel with José Ruiz, who has struggled this season with an 8.16 ERA over 16 MLB appearances.
The situation was puzzling: after keeping a franchise icon in the minors for a month, the Braves finally brought him up—only to cut ties a day later. Still, Kimbrel’s journey isn’t over. He has now signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers, aiming for a fresh start.
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