Kimbrel picked up the save in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Detroit, striking out three in a perfect ninth inning.
Kimbrel improved to 9-for-9 in save chances, striking out the side to close out Philadelphia's shutout win. The 35-year-old Kimbrel has been excellent of late, allowing just two runs over his last 11 innings while striking out 19 in that span. After a few rough outings early in the year, his ERA is down to 5.09 with a 1.13 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB over 23 innings.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
Craig Kimbrel's season-long numbers support the idea of his continued decline and suggest he doesn't have long as the preferred saves source in the Phillies bullpen, even if he's notched each of their past five. But at the start of that stretch, he had an 8.25 ERA. Since settling in as the team's unofficial closer, he has a 1.80 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 14.4 K/9 in 10 appearances. Kimbrel is far removed from his glory years as the best closer in Fantasy Baseball, but he never lost his ability to miss bats. And we saw him turn in a dominant performance as the Cubs closer as recently as 2021. Jose Alvarado was the Phillies' best reliever before succumbing to elbow inflammation in early May and may complicate things when he returns from the IL, but the way Kimbrel is going now, maybe not.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Picks up eighth save
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Kimbrel picked up the save during Saturday's win over the Nationals, tossing a perfect inning in which he struck out one.
Kimbrel retired the Nationals in order to secure his eighth save. Despite a robust 5.32 ERA, the veteran right-hander has yet to blow a save chance this season and sports an elite 33:11 K:BB over 24 appearances (22 innings). The 35-year-old continues to operate as Philadelphia's top closer, but he figures to share closing responsibilities when Jose Alvarado (elbow) returns from the injured list.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Collects seventh save
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Kimbrel struck out two but gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning Saturday to record his seventh save of the season in a 2-1 win over Atlanta.
After Zack Wheeler fired eight scoreless frames, Kimbrel was entrusted to close out the combined shutout, but instead his full-count fastball to Sean Murphy caught too much of the inner half of the plate and got driven over the left-field wall. It's the fifth long ball Kimbrel has served up in 20 innings, leaving him with a 5.85 ERA, but he also sports a 32:11 K:BB and has yet to blow a save chance this season. The 35-year-old righty will likely return to a secondary role in the Phillies' closer committee when Jose Alvarado (elbow) gets healthy.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Records career save No. 400
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Kimbrel walked one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his sixth save of the season in a 6-4 win over Atlanta.
The 34-year-old has yet to blow a save chance this season, and Friday's performance gave Kimbrel his 400th career save, putting him in an exclusive club with Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith, Francisco Rodriguez, John Franco, Billy Wagner and Kenley Jansen -- who, in a nifty bit of synchronicity, also collected his 400th against Atlanta on May 10. Kimbrel's 5.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB through 19 innings this season are less than stellar, however, and he'll likely cede closing duties back to Jose Alvarado )elbow) when the latter returns from the IL.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Earns win in extras
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Kimbrel (3-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, striking out one in a perfect 10th inning.
Kimbrel stranded the free runner on second base in the top of the 10th inning, setting up the Phillies to walk it off in the bottom half of the frame. The 34-year-old Kimbrel has been solid of late, allowing just one run on two hits over his last six innings while striking out 13 in that span. He lowered his ERA to 6.00 with a 1.33 WHIP and 30:10 K:BB through 18 innings this season.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Notches fifth save
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Kimbrel picked up the save in Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Cubs. He allowed a run on a hit and a walk while striking out two over one inning.
Kimbrel's four-game scoreless run was snapped by Christopher Morel's two-out homer Sunday, but he hung on to seal the 2-1 win and log his fifth save of the season. The 34-year-old Kimbrel is a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities despite a 6.35 ERA and 1.41 WHIP through 17 innings this year. He'll continue to split closing duties with Gregory Soto while Jose Alvarado (elbow) is sidelined.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Locks down fourth save
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Kimbrel allowed a hit and struck out three in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rockies.
This was Kimbrel's first save chance in his last five outings. He's kept runs off the board in three straight appearances, and with Jose Alvarado (elbow) on the injured list, Kimbrel should be in line for a higher share of save chances. The veteran reliever has struggled to a 6.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB across 15 innings this season while adding four saves, three holds and a 2-1 record through 17 appearances.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Struggles in first loss
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Kimbrel (1-1) took the loss in Wednesday's 10-6 loss against the Dodgers. He allowed four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one over one-third of an inning.
Kimbrel could record only one out in the bottom of the ninth before Max Muncy hit a walkoff grand slam, handing the Phillies a 10-6 loss and a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. The veteran right-hander has struggled in his last two outings, allowing six earned runs on four hits (including two homers), following a stretch of eight consecutive scoreless appearances. His ERA is up to an unsightly 8.25 with a 1.75 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB. Jose Alvarado should be the preferred option for saves moving forward.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Notches second save
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Kimbrel struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his second save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Rockies.
With Jose Alvarado having pitched three of the last four days and Gregory Soto having worked the seventh inning Saturday, Kimbrel got the call for the save despite the fact Colorado had two left-handed hitters and a switch hitter due up in the ninth. The veteran righty had little trouble retiring the side, though, needing only eight pitches (seven strikes) to dispatch Harold Castro, Charlie Blackmon and Jurickson Profar. Kimbrel has two saves and three holds in 10 appearances to begin the season and has reeled off six straight scoreless appearances with a 9:1 K:BB in that span, putting him in position to get more ninth-inning opportunities as long as he remains locked in.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Picks up first save
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Kimbrel picked up the save Friday in a 5-2 win over Reds, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one over a scoreless ninth.
Kimbrel entered with a three-run lead and allowed two baserunners before ultimately escaping any damage, picking up his first save of the year. The veteran right-hander hasn't looked sharp in any of his three outings this season, but it appears Kimbrel is still the top closing option for the Phillies, who may also utilize Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado and Gregory Soto in high-leverage situations.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Works in non-save situation
Rotowire
Kimbrel gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Yankees. He didn't strike out a batter.
Considering the Phillies hadn't won a game yet this season, manager Rob Thomson wasn't taking any chances with a four-run lead and brought in Kimbrel to finish things out. The veteran closer served up a solo shot to DJ LeMahieu and threw only 14 of his 23 pitches for strikes, but he eventually got the job done. Kimbrel has been scored upon in his first two appearances this season with a 1:3 K:BB, which isn't a great sign for the 34-year-old, but his usage Tuesday suggests he's still the top option for save chances in the Phillies' bullpen once they begin to create some. Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado and Gregory Soto are also in the high-leverage mix, however.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Open to flexible role
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Kimbrel has no problem being part of a closer committee this season, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Kimbrel's 394 career saves lead all active players and rank seventh all-time, but his drop in performance over the last few seasons means he can no longer walk into a room and automatically inherit the closer title. His 3.70 ERA last season wasn't terrible, but his 27.7 percent strikeout rate represented a career low. The Phillies didn't have a dedicated closer down the stretch last season after Corey Knebel pitched his way out of the role, and they don't intend to anoint Kimbrel or anyone else to the job at the moment. Kimbrel has struggled when pitching in the eighth inning or earlier in the past, though not in large enough samples to be predictive.
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Phillies' Craig Kimbrel: Signs with Phillies
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Kimbrel signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Kimbrel had an OK season in 2022, recording a 3.75 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 60 innings while racking up 22 saves as the Dodgers' closer. While the 34-year-old reliever has begun to show his age a bit over the past few seasons, he'll be a valuable piece for a Phillies bullpen that ranked in the bottom third in ERA last season (4.27). Kimbrel will likely begin 2023 as Philadelphia's closer.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Left off playoff roster
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Kimbrel will not be on the Dodgers' NLDS roster for the upcoming series against the Padres.
It's certainly not the outcome the Dodgers were expecting when they acquired Kimbrel from the White Sox over the offseason. His 3.75 ERA on the year was below his usual standard but not terrible, but he's lost his manager's trust nonetheless. His ERA actually improved to 3.10 in the second half, but that came with a 4.60 FIP as his strikeout rate cratered to 20.7 percent.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Melts down in high-leverage spot
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Kimbrel dropped to 6-7 on the season after he walked three of the five batters he faced while allowing an unearned run Tuesday in the Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the Padres in 10 innings.
After manager Dave Roberts officially removed him from the closer's role last weekend, Kimbrel turned in a clean inning in his first appearance following the demotion, but he took a big step backward Tuesday. Upon taking the mound in the top of the 10th with a runner on second base, Kimbrel proceeded to retire Ha-Seong Kim on a sacrifice bunt and struck out Manny Machado, but he loaded the bases with a pair of walks, one of which was intentional. Kimbrel then faced Jorge Alfaro, who was able to lay off a four-seam fastball just outside the zone with a 3-2 count to draw a walkoff free pass. In light of yet another poor showing in a high-leverage spot, Kimbrel looks to be further away from returning to closing duties, and he could even find himself at risk of missing out on a spot on the Dodgers' postseason roster.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Loses closer job
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Kimbrel was removed from the Dodgers' closer role Friday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
The decision comes after Kimbrel allowed at least one run in three of his last four games. That followed a stretch in which he allowed just one hit across nine scoreless appearances, but his 6:3 K:BB in those outings was far from convincing. The veteran now owns a 4.14 ERA on the season and has struck out a modest 27.2 percent of opposing batters, well below his career mark of 40.0 percent. A committee approach to the ninth inning appears to be the plan for now in Los Angeles, with Chris Martin, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol among the leading candidates.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Could be losing grip on closer role
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Kimbrel (6-6) earned the win over Arizona on Thursday despite allowing one run on one hit, one walk and one hit batsman over one inning. After the contest, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he'll "think through" the ninth-inning role and "figure out what's best for the ball club," per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
Kimbrel came into the contest with the game tied 1-1 in the ninth inning, so it wasn't a save situation. He hit Jake McCarthy with a pitch to begin the frame but had some good fortune when replay determined that McCarthy was tagged out on a stolen-base attempt after initially being called safe. Kimbrel couldn't capitalize on that big call, however, as the next batter -- Christian Walker -- tagged him for a go-ahead solo homer. Kimbrel remained in the contest and issued a two-out walk before finishing off the frame, and he earned the victory when the Dodgers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth. Kimbrel has been shaky of late, allowing at least one run in three of his past four appearances. Roberts' postgame comments suggest that the veteran closer isn't guaranteed to remain in the ninth-inning role as the Dodgers look ahead to what they hope will be a deep postseason run.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Snags win Sunday
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Kimbrel (5-6) earned the extra-inning win over the Giants on Sunday, pitching a perfect inning with one strikeout.
Kimbrel worked the ninth inning to keep the game tied, and the Dodgers took the lead in the 10th. The right-hander hadn't pitched since blowing a save Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks, but it appears that outing was a speed bump and the not the start of another slump. Kimbrel has a 3.96 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 64:22 K:BB through 52.1 innings while adding 22 saves in 27 chances.
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Dodgers' Craig Kimbrel: Blows save, takes loss Wednesday
Rotowire
Kimbrel (4-6) took the loss and blew a save in an extra-inning affair against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter over two-thirds of an inning.
After the Dodgers scored a run in the top of the 10th frame, Kimbrel was called upon to close the door. He walked the first batter he faced but retired the next two hitters before giving up a walkoff three-run home run to Sergio Alcantara. Kimbrel had been pitching well coming into Wednesday, allowing no earned runs and only one hit over his previous nine outings, though only two of those were save situations. Los Angeles has already clinched the NL West and holds the best record in the majors, but Kimbrel's inconsistency is cause for concern as the team heads toward the postseason. The veteran has posted a 4.03 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while taking six losses and blowing five saves through 54 appearances on the campaign.
