Craig Kimbrel DFA'd by Braves 1 Game After Getting Promoted to MLB Roster

The Atlanta Braves called Craig Kimbrel up from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier this week, but his stint with the team didn't last long.

On Saturday, one day after Kimbrel debuted for Atlanta in a loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Braves designated the reliever for assignment.

In his debut on Friday, Kimbrel came in during the bottom of the seventh with the score even at four. He gave up a hit to Heliot Ramos before walking Jung Hoo Lee. Ramos was caught stealing, Lee was picked off at first and Kimbrel struck out Wilmer Flores to avoid any damage.

Though Kimbrel got through his appearance unscathed, The Athletic's David O'Brien noted that manager Brian Snitker implied Kimbrel got lucky in the outing.

Kimbrel, 37, joined the Braves organization in March after spending the 2024 season with the Baltimore Orioles. In Baltimore, the veteran struggled, posting a 5.33 ERA across 57 games, which was enough for the Orioles to move him out of his closer role.

After the uncharacteristic season from the nine-time All-Star, who has a 2.59 career ERA, the Orioles released him in September.

The Braves signed Kimbrel to a minor league deal in March that would pay him $2 million in the majors. The expectation was for Kimbrel to get warmed up in the minors before joining Atlanta's major league roster.

In 18 appearances with Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett, Kimbrel posted a 2.00 ERA with 23 strikeouts and three saves across 18 innings.

The Braves' bullpen has been average this season, posting a 3.83 ERA, good for 16th in the majors. Atlanta decided to make the move to bring Kimbrel up after the bullpen gave up eight hits, eight runs and four walks in a collapse against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Closer Raisel Iglesias gave up four hits and three runs in just 0.2 innings.

Despite an evident need for bullpen help, Atlanta feels it will be better off without Kimbrel.

Kimbrel, who began his career with the Braves in 2010 and is the franchise's all-time leader in saves, will now look to find his next opportunity in the majors elsewhere.