Craig Kimbrel was told near the end of spring training that he wouldn’t be headed north with the Mets, but remained confident an opportunity with the club would arise.
Just two weeks into the season, he is getting that shot. Saturday, the former All-Star closer was selected to the roster as a replacement for Richard Lovelady, whom the team designated for assignment.
Kimbrel credited the open communication he had with the front office for his decision to remain with the organization rather than opt out when he wasn’t chosen for the Opening Day roster.
“I felt very comfortable that at some point during this year there was going to be an opportunity,” Kimbrel said before the Mets lost 11-6 to the A’s at Citi Field. “It’s one of the reasons I decided to stay and not look around and see if I can go somewhere else, and I also like what was going on in the clubhouse and the opportunity this team has. I didn’t make the Opening Day roster, but I had the chance. Now I just need to try to take it and see what I can do with it.”
Craig Kimbrel throws a pitch during the Mets’ Feb 28 spring training game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Kimbrel was summoned for his Mets debut in the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
Kimbrel, 37, owns 440 saves over 16 major league seasons. The Mets signed him to a minor league contract over the winter, but his control was an issue in spring training as he experimented with a cutter and looked to build up his velocity.
Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated he wouldn’t hesitate to insert Kimbrel into a high-leverage spot if needed. To this point, the manager has relied on Luke Weaver and Devin Williams in the highest-leverage situations.
Delivering insights on all things Amazin’s
Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+
Thank you
“If the game calls for high leverage, I am not going to hesitate,” Mendoza said. “This is a guy who is well on his way to being a Hall of Famer, he’s not like a guy who is coming up to the big leagues for the first time. He’s been in these roles for a long time and had a pretty successful career.”
In 14 appearances last season for the Braves and Astros, the right-hander pitched to a 2.25 ERA.
“The breaking ball is still a pretty good pitch,” Mendoza said. “If he can get Strike 1, with the breaking ball and with the fastball, it’s just going to put him in a better spot, that was the difference we saw in him from the beginning of camp when he was kind of getting behind and walking people, compared to the last couple [outings].”