Vibes are pretty low around the Philadelphia Phillies currently. They were losers of five straight games and nine out of their last 10 before Monday’s win, but at least they aren't the Atlanta Braves. It's completely normal to go through hot and cold stretches during the MLB season, but the Braves' downfall has been prolonged.
The Braves were seen as serious World Series contenders and for good reason, as they had won six out of the last seven National League East division titles before the Phillies claimed the crown in 2024. Atlanta currently finds themselves 10 games under .500 and 9.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. Their bullpen has been just as shaky as the Phillies, which led them to sign, and immediately let go of, a familiar face to both Braves and Phillies fans.
Craig Kimbrel DFA'd after one appearance back with Braves
The Braves are experiencing some of the same issues as the Phillies, with bats like Matt Olson and Michael Harris II underperforming and their bullpen being a nightmare for fans to endure. Fresh off blowing a six-run ninth inning lead in spectacular fashion last week, Atlanta recalled franchise icon Craig Kimbrel from Triple-A, then designated him for assignment two days later, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
Kimbrel pitched one scoreless inning for the Braves as they got swept in San Francisco. Two of those losses were at the hands of the bullpen, which gave Phillies fans something to laugh at amid their own team's awful stretch.
Now pitching for your Atlanta Braves, number 46, Craig Kimbrel!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/9LrDO5pSXv
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 7, 2025
Kimbrel has a compelling case for Cooperstown, with 440 career saves and nine All-Star appearances. The last of those appearances came with the Phillies in 2023 after Kimbrel converted his first 16 save opportunities. Of course, Phillies fans will always remember him for losing two games in their still-unbelievable choke against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLCS.
It's saying something that Kimbrel is unable to stick on a team free-falling as far as the Braves. Despite holding the Giants scoreless, Kimbrel worked around trouble, allowing a hit and a walk. His fastball velocity was also down to about 91-92 mph, something that's to be expected from a 37-year-old. Still, many have argued that Kimbrel deserved a better send off as the Braves' all-time saves leader.