May 1, 2025 10:46 AM : Kimbrel is still building up his velocity at Triple-A Gwinnett, and there's no timeline for him to be added to Atlanta's 26-man roster, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: Atlanta's bullpen needs help behind closer Raisel Iglesias, but it's not clear when Kimbrel might be able to bolster the team's relief corps. The 36-year-old has thrown 7.1 innings over seven appearances between Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB, but his fastball velocity has mainly been sitting in the low 90s, a step back even from the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024. "I learned last year when it comes to velocity, the velocity itself doesn't really matter as much as how I use my pitches, masking my pitches," Kimbrel said Wednesday. "I don't throw 100 mph anymore, so I can't just go out there and try to throw it by everybody. So it's taking the mindset of a pitcher and using my pitches to get guys out." Kimbrel sits fifth on MLB's all-time save list with 440, with the first 186 coming in an Atlanta uniform, but he's unlikely to add much to that total in his second stint with the team.