Inside The Dodgers

Orioles Cut Former Dodgers Closer For Assignment in Huge Move

Maren Angus-Coombs

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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In a shocking move, the Baltimore Orioles designated former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel for assignment on Wednesday.

To take his place on the roster, right-hander Bryan Baker was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

The 36-year-old righty signed a one-year deal with a club option in the offseason, but he struggled as the closer and ended up getting replaced by Seranthony Domínguez, who the team picked up from the Phillies at the trade deadline.

The veteran closer, who is fifth all-time with 440 saves, lost his spot in July. Since taking over, Domínguez has been perfect, going 10-for-10 in save chances.

Kimbrel went 7-5 this season with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves over 57 games, but things went off the rails Wednesday night. He gave up six earned runs in the 10-0 loss to the Giants, both career highs for him.

Before then, he’d never allowed more than four runs in any of his previous 836 major league appearances.

He compiled 23 saves and put together a strong first half but fell apart down the stretch, posting a 10.59 ERA in 18 games after the All-Star Break.

"The mojo that we've had has just drifted away from us the last few months," Orioles general manager Mike Elias told reporters on Tuesday. "There are reasons for it that are obvious, but a lot of it is we've got people here that are experiencing a downturn – whether it's themselves or the team."

Kimbrel, through a team spokesperson, said he’d speak with the media on Wednesday instead of after Tuesday’s game. He was dominant in the first half of the season, but things have gone downhill since July 14, right before the break. With no signs of bouncing back, it’s hard to have any confidence in him pitching during the postseason.

“I had a tough time trying to find a spot for him on the road trip,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He didn’t pitch for a week. ... I was hoping he could just get out of the inning, and unfortunately, there was some fatigue there at the end. The velo started getting down a little bit. Normally, he’s not out there for that long. In that type of game, I just didn’t want to use anybody else at that point, so I had to get [Matt] Bowman up. That wasn’t his normal stuff there at the end.”

If this is the end for Kimbrel, it’s not exactly a smooth ride into retirement. Once a dominant reliever, he’s been getting knocked around by hitters for months now. It’s been tough to watch — and even tougher for Kimbrel to endure.

Kimbrel went 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA with 22 saves in his only season (2022) with the Dodgers. He did not pitch for the team in the postseason.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.

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