With the Atlanta Braves scuffling out of the gates to start the 2025 season, fans are looking for things to get shaken up and for a spark to be lit under this team. We have already seen some Braves players like Austin Riley and Matt Olson express their frustration with their performance, but little in the way of explanation of how they will turn things around. One possible spark could be what looks like the imminent return of Craig Kimbrel to Atlanta.
It has certainly been a while since Kimbrel last wore a Braves uniform, but his reunion with Atlanta has still be a really fun story. While expectations have been understandably tempered given the stage of his career he is in, Truist Park is still going to go wild the first time he comes out of the bullpen.
However, there is reason to believe that Kimbrel's return is going to bring more than nostalgia. Down in the minors, Kimbrel just had another dominant outing after looking good in his first appearance. Now, it looks like he could end up being a strong producer for the Braves bullpen this year.
Craig Kimbrel just had another excellent outing down in the Braves' minor league system
It is important to recognize the quality of competition that Kimbrel is facing right now. The possible future Hall of Famer has been facing down Double-A hitters which, while not the lowest level of competition, is still a demographic that he should be able to handle with his veteran wiles alone.
Still, facing four batters and striking out every single one of them is hard to do regardless of the level of competition when pros are involved. The club he was up against, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, is off to a really good start to the season as has some guys in their lineup that can really hit. One shouldn't expect Kimbrel to be untouchable based on that appearance, but his ceiling could be higher than many of us thought.
With two appearances in the minors under his belt, Braves fans should officially be on Kimbrel roster move watch. Our best guess is that Atlanta will want to see him make another appearance or two, but don't be surprised if the Braves feel a sense of urgency and bring him up as soon as this weekend.