BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 08: Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias talks on the phone before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 08, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Orioles manager explains Craig Kimbrel’s new role
The Baltimore Orioles are demoting struggling closer Craig Kimbrel, at least for the time being.
Kimbrel pitched the seventh inning of Friday’s 4-2 win over Arizona, with Yennier Cano getting ninth-inning duties instead. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde suggested this will remain the case at least in the short term, as the team looks to get its struggling closer back on track. Hyde described Kimbrel’s usage as “day-to-day” at this point.
Kimbrel did pitch a scoreless seventh, striking out one without allowing a baserunner.
The Orioles had hoped Kimbrel would stabilize the back of their bullpen with Felix Bautista sidelined for the entirety of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. It has been a struggle for the veteran, however, as he has allowed seven earned runs in 14.1 innings of work while blowing three saves. Things hit rock bottom for him this week, when he was removed in the ninth inning twice during a pair of bad outings before he even got the chance to let the lead slip.
The bullpen is the only real weak spot the Orioles have shown so far, and it means they might have to make an in-season move to address it.
Kimbrel did pitch a scoreless seventh, striking out one without allowing a baserunner.
The Orioles had hoped Kimbrel would stabilize the back of their bullpen with Felix Bautista sidelined for
the entirety of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. It has been a struggle for the veteran, however, as he has allowed seven earned runs in 14.1 innings of work while blowing three saves. Things hit rock bottom for him this week, when he was removed in the ninth inning twice during a pair of bad outings before he even got the chance to let the lead slip.
The bullpen is the only real weak spot the Orioles have shown so far, and it means they might have to make an in-season move to address it.
