Some homecomings appear to be scripted by Hollywood. The Atlanta Braves and Craig Kimbrel gave fans that perfect, nostalgic moment. It was a feel-good story more than a decade in the making. And then, 24 hours later, the team ripped up the script. In a move that sent shockwaves through baseball, the Braves designated their all-time saves leader for assignment. The storybook return had turned a head-scratching one-day event, and now leaves fans everywhere asking a simple question: what the heck just happened?
Kimbrel finally came back years later on June 6. He made his way to the mound in the seventh inning, facing the San Francisco Giants. The box score was good enough. He worked one scoreless inning and struck out one. But the blank page concealed a more sinister truth. He gave up a leadoff single and walk, only escaping the jam thanks to a caught stealing and a pickoff. Manager Brian Snitker later admitted Kimbrel “kind of lucked out of it a little bit.” The radar gun also painted an ominous picture, with his fastball averaging only 91.7 mph.
The feel-good story came crashing down the next day. MLB insider Jon Heyman broke the news with an abrupt tweet: “Craig Kimbrel DFA’ed, Braves announce.” The decision was stunning. Kimbrel had worked his way up after inking a minor league deal in March. He had a 2.00 earned run average and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings in the minors. He had even informed the front office that he was ready to come back. The call-up was desperation, anyhow, arriving just a few days after Atlanta’s bullpen suffered a historic meltdown.
Craig Kimbrel DFA’ed, Braves announce
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 7, 2025
This was so surprising because of who Craig “The Dragon” Kimbrel is to Atlanta. He was the most dominant closer in baseball from 2010 through 2014. And remains the franchise’s career save leader, with 186. He went on to play for six other teams, where he continued to pile up saves. However, his performance had recently declined, including a 5.33 ERA with Baltimore in 2024. His return to the Braves appears to serve the purpose of another opportunity to write that final, victorious chapter where his legendary career began.
For the Braves, this was a cold-eyed business decision. The team, which was struggling with a 27-35 record, simply couldn’t afford sentimentality. The loss of velocity Kimbrel displayed was a huge concern. The front office, led by Alex Anthopoulos, probably noticed that his stuff wasn’t elite enough for the higher-leverage situations that he figured to be in. They required a fresh arm right away, so they brought back left-hander Austin Cox. It was a ruthless, but logical, baseball move.
Fans react to Braves’ all-time save leader Craig Kimbrel‘s abrupt exit
The clash between the cold, hard logic of baseball and the emotional narrative of a hero’s return ignited a firestorm online.
The most common reaction was one of pure, unadulterated shock. Fans struggled to process the timeline, which felt less like a baseball decision and more like a fever dream. “Didn’t he only pitch one game?!” This fan’s disbelief is rooted in the timeline. Kimbrel was called up on Friday, June 6, and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. By Saturday, June 7, he was designated for assignment. The turnaround was jarring. While the box score showed zero runs, the underlying performance was shaky—he allowed two baserunners and only escaped the jam with a pickoff and a caught stealing. Still, for fans who just saw a “0” on the scoreboard from a returning legend, the move felt incredibly rash.
Other fans viewed the situation through a more cynical lens. They saw a desperate team, sitting at 27-35 and reeling from a historic bullpen collapse on June 5, simply churning through bodies.”Another sacrifice for that team” This comment paints Kimbrel as a casualty of the team’s desperation. Manager Snitker had just said, “We’re going to mix and match… it’s what we got.” This “throw it at the wall and see what sticks” strategy makes Kimbrel’s brief appearance feel less like a real opportunity and more like a frantic, temporary solution.
Of course, the internet has a long memory. Some fans used the moment to sarcastically reflect on Kimbrel’s career arc. “lol remember when he compared himself to Rivera?” This is a deep cut. During his first Braves tenure (2010-2014), Kimbrel’s performance was so elite that comparisons to Mariano Rivera were a real, if hyperbolic, discussion point. Now, the irony is thick. Kimbrel’s fastball, once in the high-90s, now sits at a vulnerable 91.7 mph. After a 2024 season where he posted a 5.33 ERA with the Orioles, the idea of him being in Rivera’s league seems absurd.
While some fans were nostalgic, others were brutally pragmatic. “Well he’s trash what do you want.” This blunt take is backed by hard data. It’s not about the one scoreless inning in 2025; it’s about the 5.33 ERA in 57 games in 2024. It’s about being released by the Orioles just last September. These fans saw the diminished velocity and the two baserunners he allowed and came to a simple conclusion: his stuff is no longer effective at the Major League level.
Ultimately, most reactions swirled around a feeling of profound disrespect for a franchise icon. “Geez….way to treat one of the best closers the Braves organization has ever had What was even the point?” This captures the core of the fan outrage. It’s not just that the Braves cut a player; it’s that they seemingly disrespected their all-time saves leader (186 saves). Why build up the emotional return of a player who said, “This is the jersey I want to put on,” only to cut him after one inning? It makes the entire exercise feel pointless and cynical.
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