The Baltimore Orioles have moved on from reliever Craig Kimbrel, designating him for assignment on Wednesday. Kimbrel's last outing occurred on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, where he struggled, allowing six earned runs on three hits in just 2/3 of an inning during a 10-0 loss.
To fill the gap, the Orioles called up right-handed reliever Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk. Kimbrel, 36, joined the Orioles on a one-year, $13 million deal in December, with the hope that he would serve as the closer after Félix Bautista was ruled out for the season due to Tommy John surgery.
Kimbrel started the season strong, notching 23 saves across 39 appearances and surrendering only 11 earned runs over 35 1/3 innings. During that stretch, he also struck out 53 batters, maintained a 0.96 WHIP, and held opponents to a .150 batting average.
However, his performance took a sharp turn after July 7, which marked his last save for the Orioles. Over his final 19 appearances, he allowed runs in 11 games, gave up 24 hits, and issued 17 walks, marking a significant downturn in his effectiveness.
Kimbrel, now in his 15th MLB season, has played for eight different teams. The nine-time All-Star began his career with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, securing the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2011 while serving as the team’s dominant closer for five seasons. He currently ranks fifth all-time in saves with 440, trailing Kenley Jansen of the Boston Red Sox by six and Hall of Famer Lee Smith by 38.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/craig-kimb...-after-forgettable-second-half-183823840.html
To fill the gap, the Orioles called up right-handed reliever Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk. Kimbrel, 36, joined the Orioles on a one-year, $13 million deal in December, with the hope that he would serve as the closer after Félix Bautista was ruled out for the season due to Tommy John surgery.
Kimbrel started the season strong, notching 23 saves across 39 appearances and surrendering only 11 earned runs over 35 1/3 innings. During that stretch, he also struck out 53 batters, maintained a 0.96 WHIP, and held opponents to a .150 batting average.
However, his performance took a sharp turn after July 7, which marked his last save for the Orioles. Over his final 19 appearances, he allowed runs in 11 games, gave up 24 hits, and issued 17 walks, marking a significant downturn in his effectiveness.
Kimbrel, now in his 15th MLB season, has played for eight different teams. The nine-time All-Star began his career with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, securing the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2011 while serving as the team’s dominant closer for five seasons. He currently ranks fifth all-time in saves with 440, trailing Kenley Jansen of the Boston Red Sox by six and Hall of Famer Lee Smith by 38.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/craig-kimb...-after-forgettable-second-half-183823840.html