SAN FRANCISCO -- Unlike Tom Glavine, Craig Kimbrel at least got to pitch one more time for the Braves before abruptly being shown the door.
Kimbrel will forever be recognized as one of the greatest relievers in Braves history. But his return to Atlanta’s roster lasted just one day. After throwing 91-92 mph with a shaky breaking ball in a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Giants on Friday night, the 37-year-old pitcher was designated for assignment.
It was a rough ending for Kimbrel, who collected a franchise record 186 saves while pitching for the Braves from 2010-14. But it’s not like he’s the first legend to experience an unceremonious end. Glavine attempted to give it another go after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn flexor tendon in his left elbow in 2008.
But after producing a second consecutive scoreless rehab start on June 2, 2009, the then-43-year-old future Hall of Famer was released. The Braves filled his anticipated rotation spot with top prospect Tommy Hanson.
Kimbrel learned he was DFA’d on Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after he had donned an Atlanta uniform for the first time since he had been traded to the Padres on the eve of the 2015 season.
This wasn’t what Kimbrel envisioned when he signed a Minor League deal with the Braves near the end of Spring Training. It took him approximately six weeks to make all necessary preparations. The 37-year-old called Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos before the team played in Boston (May 16-18) to tell him he was ready to compete at the big league level.
But even as they endured a stretch that has included three wins over their past 18 games, the Braves were hesitant to promote Kimbrel. They finally did so on Thursday, when they put Daysbel Hernandez on the injured list and blew a six-run ninth inning lead in a loss to the D-backs.
Kimbrel pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Friday night with the help of a caught stealing and a pickoff. He relied heavily on his sinker, which touched 92.8 mph and averaged 91.7 mph. He didn’t get a whiff with either of the two curveballs or sliders he threw.
Nobody expected Kimbrel to be the guy who pumped 97-98 mph fastballs and struck out at least 40 percent of the batters he faced on an annual basis during his first Braves tenure. But the stuff he displayed on Friday showed why the Braves were hesitant to bring him to the Majors.
Kimbrel would have earned the prorated portion of a $2 million salary for every day was the Majors. The Braves can likely get similar results from a reliever who would make the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary ($760,000).
The Braves have temporarily filled Kimbrel’s roster spot with Austin Cox, a 28-year-old hurler who will serve as a long-relief option for at least a few days. The Braves needed a long reliever after trading Scott Blewett to the Orioles for cash considerations on Friday.