Andres Chavez
The New York Mets have lost three consecutive games, and the bullpen hasn’t been at its best during that short stretch. Luis Garcia’s fastball is missing three miles per hour, Tobias Myers allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Friday’s loss after pitching two scoreless frames, and Luke Weaver conceded his first two runs of the year on Thursday’s defeat.
The unit needs a fresh arm, so the Mets are calling up veteran closer Craig Kimbrel after he failed to make the team out of camp.
The pitcher is excited to help, and even though he doesn’t throw in the high-90s anymore, he says the adrenaline rush he gets when he goes up an MLB mound will help him gain a few ticks.
An ‘Adrenaline Boost’
“I get an adrenaline boost every time I get an opportunity to pitch in a big league ballgame. Someone told me a long time ago, as soon as that goes away, it’s time to go home,” Kimbrel said, per SNY Mets.
He initially joined the organization in late January on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. There, he pitched in six games and conceded three runs in six frames, with five strikeouts but also five walks.
His most recent action came in Single-A on Thursday, with a 1-2-3 frames with a punchout. In 2025, the newest member of the Mets bullpen tossed 12 innings with a 2.25 ERA.
Mets Are Not Afraid Of Using Him With The Game On The Line
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he won’t be afraid to use him with the game on the line if need be: “If the game calls for a high-leverage, I’m not gonna hesitate,” Mendoza explained. “This guy is well on his way to being a Hall of Famer here, he’s not a guy that’s coming up to the big leagues for the first time. He’s been in those roles for a long time, and had a pretty successful career.”
Kimbrel said to SNY that he is excited for his new chance to get outs at the MLB level. “It’s a great opportunity to come in here and try to help these guys out, throw up scoreless innings. Just happy to get the opportunity and see what I can do with it.”
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