{"id":81801,"date":"2025-08-22T15:49:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T15:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=81801"},"modified":"2025-08-22T15:49:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T15:49:39","slug":"craig-kimbrels-stunning-astros-signing-can-this-9-time-all-star-replace-josh-hader-and-save-houstons-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=81801","title":{"rendered":"Craig Kimbrel\u2019s stunning Astros signing! Can this 9-time All-Star replace Josh Hader and save Houston\u2019s season?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Houston<\/p>\n
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Craig Kimbrel’s trademark DeLorean-type stance on the mound will be coming to the Houston Astros down the stretch. (Photo by Norm Hall\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Craig Kimbrel hopes the fill the ninth-inning vacuum created when Houston lost Josh Hader.<\/p>\n

Though hampered by advancing age and declining ability, Kimbrel has two incentives: helping the Astros win a world championship and continuing his march toward 500 career saves.<\/p>\n

A nine-time All-Star and four-time National League saves leader, Kimbrel has pitched for eight different teams \u2013 most recently the 2025 Atlanta Braves.<\/p>\n

But the Braves, who signed him to a minor-league deal in March, gave him only a one-inning audition in the majors before releasing him.<\/p>\n

Former Heat Fades<\/h3>\n

The 37-year-old right-hander, who broke in with Atlanta as NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, lacks his old velocity but compensates with a combination of guile and experience.<\/p>\n

He still has a career average of 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings, compiled over a 16-year career. Kimbrel has 440 saves, 56 wins, and a 2.59 earned run average.<\/p>\n

The diminutive Huntsville native spent most of his career in Atlanta but also pitched for the Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Phillies, Padres, Orioles, and Dodgers before joining the Astros.<\/p>\n

Houston, locked into a tight race with Seattle for supremacy in the American League West this season, needs a veteran closer to fill the void created when Hader went down with a left shoulder capsule sprain. He is not expected back this season and is also questionable for the playoffs, according to Houston manager Joe Espada.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
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\"Los<\/p>\n

Craig Kimbrel brings 440 career saves to the Astros’ bullpen. (Photo by Adam Glanzman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Known for raising his arms like a human DeLorean while peering in for his sign, Kimbrel has been prone to bouts of wildness. He also has surrendered 73 home runs \u2013 including 10 in one season.<\/p>\n

This year, he began working his way back to the majors with Double-A Columbus, a Braves farm team, pitching three innings without yielding a hit. At Triple-A Gwinnett, he fanned 23 hitters in 18 innings while posting a 1-1 record and 2.00 earned run average.<\/p>\n

One-Inning Trial<\/h3>\n

That earned him a promotion to Atlanta in June. In the one inning he worked, he yielded a hit and a walk but no runs against the San Francisco Giants. Even though the team was having bullpen troubles at the time, Kimbrel was released the next day.<\/p>\n

Salary might have been the reason: Kimbrel\u2019s contract called for $1,000,000 (or a pro-rated portion of it) if he pitched in the major leagues. His peak salary was $16 million, first reached with the Chicago Cubs in 2020.<\/p>\n

The Astros entered the weekend with a 70-58 record and two-game lead over the Mariners. But both teams have been under .500 over their last 10 games.<\/p>\n

Houston hopes Kimbrel, who won a world championship with the 2018 Boston Red Sox, will help reverse that trend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel will try to fill the hole created when Houston closer Josh Hader suffered a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[564,71,47,1263,3193,287,998,1381,3192,293],"class_list":["post-81801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-all-star","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-craig-kimbrel","tag-delorean","tag-houston-astros","tag-joe-espada","tag-josh-hader","tag-rookie-of-the-year","tag-seattle-mariners"],"yoast_head":"\nCraig Kimbrel\u2019s stunning Astros signing! 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