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Cubs Activate Craig Kimbrel

By George Miller | August 18, 2019 at 2:41pm CDT

The Cubs have activated closer Craig Kimbrel from the 10-day injured list, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. He will replace Duane Underwood Jr., who has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa, on the active roster.

Kimbrel landed on the injured list with right knee inflammation, which has held him out of action for the Cubs since August 3. Since joining the Cubs, he’s gotten into 14 games with shaky results. He holds a 5.68 ERA, though that mark is certainly volatile, with Kimbrel having tossed just 12 2/3 innings. Notably, 10 of his last 11 appearances have been scoreless, though a number of blowups—largely at the hands of untimely home runs—have inflated his run-prevention numbers.

For the scuffling Cubs, the addition of Kimbrel to the bullpen mix should quell some nerves, especially considering the team’s recent struggles in the late innings. Kimbrel’s Chicago troubles notwithstanding, his extensive track record suggests that he’s a cut above the club’s other late-inning options, which will no doubt come into play as the division race intensifies—with the Cubs no longer pacing the field, for a change.

Underwood, for his part, has flashed some potential as a bullpen piece for the Cubs, having struck out 7 batters in his first 3 1/3 innings of 2019. While that pace is no doubt unsustainable, it may be enough to suggest that Underwood can carve out a role in a Major League bullpen after seven-plus years being groomed as a professional starter.

 

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47 Comments

  1. Eccubs

    6 years ago

    Now maybe they won’t blow any more saves and not have the other team walk it off!!!!

    1
    Reply
    • thekid9

      6 years ago

      Meh

      1
      Reply
      • Dogbone

        6 years ago

        Yep, we’ll see ……..to be continued.

        Reply
      • Eccubs

        6 years ago

        What’s the meh his era may not be the greatest, but he’s the answer to the the cubs 9th innings woes. That you can’t argue on.

        2
        Reply
        • Roll

          6 years ago

          I said the same thing when the mets got Diaz over the winter and still saying the same thing.

          Reply
        • SecsSeksSecks

          6 years ago

          It doesn’t matter. Even if the Cubs solve their 9th inning woes they still won’t win the WS. Even if Kimbrel locks down every save from here on out, can you see the Cubs knocking off the Dodgers and then the Yanks or Astros? They would have to get really lucky twice in a row and the Cubs never do that. The Cubs team is so inferior to the top guys it is ridiculous. I am sure Wrigley will be packed (as it should) but it will be packed with fans watching their team get eliminated. They will be watching the Cubs lose after guaranteeing themselves a low draft pick. So who cares if Mr. 5.38 ERA IL stint guy improves as much as he possibly can? No team from the weakest division in baseball is going to win it this year so Cubs fans are setting themselves up for disappointment.

          1
          Reply
        • rondon

          6 years ago

          Feel better?

          Reply
        • Android Dawesome

          6 years ago

          Saying the NL central is the weakest in baseball exposes you as a troll.

          Reply
        • Plot Thickens

          6 years ago

          It’s pretty darn weak. It’s the ONLY DIVISION IN MLB where every team has a road record below .500

          Reply
    • ChiSox_Fan

      6 years ago

      Yesterday’s win was a fluke!

      Bell choked in the 8th with bases loaded.

      Reply
      • Mikel Grady

        6 years ago

        How about the other 64 wins ? All flukes . Maybe by last game of season white Sox will have 65

        Reply
        • ElMagoN9ne

          6 years ago

          Their 2 loses vs the white sox were flukes. Lol.

          Reply
      • simschifan

        6 years ago

        Hey dummy how are your Sox doing against the Angels? Bout to lose 3-4

        Reply
      • simschifan

        6 years ago

        Sox are losing 3-0 and about to drop 3-4 from the angels. I know I’d pay attention to the better team in my city too if I followed a bunch of overhyped prospects that can’t even stay healthy and a first baseman who can’t wait to get out of that dump. Keep talking that bs about the Cubs but you can’t even watch this train wreck of a team on the south side. They got any more brain dead ex basketball players they can bring in to make people care who they are?

        1
        Reply
  2. stevebaratta

    6 years ago

    I only saw Underwood pitch in one game. He faced 6 batters, and struck them all out. I don’t know if he pitched after that. I was hoping to see more of him. Glad to have Kimbrel back though,

    Reply
  3. mistry gm

    6 years ago

    What????? Keep Underwood and dump Strop. Underwood was doing good. Is this Epsteins decision or Maddons? Whoever made is nuts.

    Reply
    • mike127

      6 years ago

      It’s Jed and Theo’s decision and if Strop has no options left he cannot be moved to the minors. The interesting move will be Tuesday when Cishek is activated. Someone will need to go to the IL for the 10 days leading up to September 1.

      Reply
  4. chitown311

    6 years ago

    Here come the Cubbies!!!

    1
    Reply
    • simschifan

      6 years ago

      K.

      Reply
  5. cmking

    6 years ago

    I know the cubs cant lean heavy on kimbrel at the moment.. but thank god he’s back.. the bullpen is so terrible

    2
    Reply
    • themed

      6 years ago

      He’s not going to help either. Like throwing gasoline on the fire. Things are going exactly like I predicted.

      Reply
      • simschifan

        6 years ago

        This moron is still on here? Yeah you predicted a tight race in the central? Wow you and every other person who watches baseball. Go watch some other teams other than the deadbirds. Your baseball knowledge is very minimal.

        2
        Reply
      • cmking

        6 years ago

        @themed I thought you predicted a last place finish for the cubs lol

        Cubs are flawed, as are the cards… its anyone’s division

        Reply
        • themed

          6 years ago

          No I think they may beat the Pirates. But Cincy may still catch them. They are very solid.

          1
          Reply
        • Ejemp2006

          6 years ago

          If the Reds win the central then I will party hard. Not a Cincy fan but a comedy fan.

          Reply
        • snotrocket

          6 years ago

          Just make sure you are listening to Andrew WK.

          Reply
        • Plot Thickens

          6 years ago

          Reds are “solidly” 7 games below. 500 and 7.5 games back. ANOTHER brilliant comment from the resident “deeb” known as Themed.

          Reply
  6. ChiSoxCity

    6 years ago

    Everyone except cubs fans can see Craig Kimbrel’s not a dominant closer anymore. He’ll blow more saves, and the cubs will (eventually) fall 4/5 games out of first place, and out of the playoffs where they belong.

    2
    Reply
    • ChiSoxCity

      6 years ago

      Strop is trash too, but the cubs aren’t a proactive enough as an organization to initiate change in a timely manner. They’ll keep giving him the ball with the game on the line.

      1
      Reply
    • petrie000

      6 years ago

      I bet if you actually polled everyone not a Cubs fan that would not be the case. Though if YOU tried you’d quit after you ran out of toes and couldn’t keep track of the totals anymore…

      1
      Reply
      • petrieooo

        6 years ago

        But I have to give you some credit because I get confused even with the help of ties to count on.

        Reply
      • ChiSoxCity

        6 years ago

        What? Do yourself a favor and go easy on the boose, ok buddy?

        Reply
  7. Priggs89

    6 years ago

    Is there a legitimate reason why Underwood Jr. only got 3 1/3 innings?

    Reply
    • petrie000

      6 years ago

      Probably just because there was understandably not a lot of trust in him, so he wasn’t a ‘go-to’ name.

      Reply
      • Priggs89

        6 years ago

        Understandable if the “go-to” names were shutting down ballgames. Joe doesn’t have a workhorse like Chapman to ride every night down the stretch. Seems like this was as good of an opportunity as any to see if he could be a legitimate option going forward.

        Reply
      • petrieooo

        6 years ago

        Ever notice that I use quotation marks to make stuff look “impressive” when if you exactly analyze anything I say you will see that all of my comments lack any factual basis and I am a complete idiot.

        Reply
        • chicagofan1978

          6 years ago

          Oh cool another fake account

          Reply
        • chicagofan1978

          6 years ago

          And you making a replica account of someone need to probably remember there are two teams in Chicago. I’m a Sox fan. Go troll on Facebook or tinder you little dweeb

          Reply
        • petrieooo

          6 years ago

          I never said anything about Sox fans. The operative words in my last post were “Cub fans.”

          Reply
  8. Phanatic 2022

    6 years ago

    Kimberly is done

    1
    Reply
    • Ejemp2006

      6 years ago

      Nope. His numbers reflect his holdout, not his potential to have more years of great success. This year and next are the last years of this Cub core’s window and Kimbrel will have some shining moments on big stages that prove his doubters wrong.

      Reply
      • SecsSeksSecks

        6 years ago

        Whether the Cubs back into the playoffs this season due to the fact that they play in the weakest division in baseball is inconsequential. They won’t win the WS this year. They would be unbelievably lucky to make it past the NLDS. Stranger things have happened though so I’m not saying its possible. If they do it it will have to somehow be without knocking off the Astros, Yanks Dodgers or maybe even Braves because I highly doubt they are capable of doing any of those 4 things. If you are right about the window then they better be focused on 2020 and do it next year. You can always get extremely lucky but lovable losers never do. That’s why their called losers. The only time the Cubs have won a WS in the past century plus it was because they had the best team. Not because they got lucky. Don’t count on them to get lucky this season. The only thing dumber than that would be to count on them suddenly becoming more talented and be able to win it all without luck.

        Reply
        • Fred K. Burke

          6 years ago

          Well stated. I agree. Not to steal your thunder but I made a similar comment after the trade deadline when the Cubs obtained Castellanos, Kemp and Phelps. This team should have enough to win the NL Central which is muddled in mediocrity. That’s not saying much. But the bottom line is this team will fall short of a WS appearance let alone a win. Just too many other better teams stand in the way. This Cubs team will be remembered as the ’85 Bears-A one and done championship team instead of the 2009/2010 Blackhawks who went on to win three Stanley Cups in five years.

          Reply
  9. pullhitter445

    6 years ago

    Oh thank god, he’s so good…NOT! Thank you again theo and Jed for another garbage acquisition.

    Reply
    • ChiSoxCity

      6 years ago

      It’s uncanny how every free agent Epstein signs immediately falls off a cliff. Bad timing or bad scouting?

      Reply
      • Plot Thickens

        6 years ago

        Really? Lester and Zobrist were bad? They won a WS with both of those guys being KEY FA signings and major contributors to 2016. Then again, Epstein isn’t quite Rick Hahn and his uncanny ability to sign FA stiffs like Alonso and Jay.

        Reply
  10. BeeVeeTee

    6 years ago

    The Cubs are over the luxury tax threshold and are tied for first place with the Cardinals while l the Brewers are right behind them with a few weeks left in the season should have some Cubs’ fans worry about the rest of the Cubs’ schedule with playing some teams in contention.

    Reply

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