Entering Tuesday night, Craig Kimbrel, at age 24, was one save from reaching triple digits for his career. His next save will be 100 and would make him the second-youngest to reach 100 saves — behind only Francisco Rodriguez, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“K-Rod” was 24 years and 246 days old when he recorded his 100th save Sept. 10, 2006 with the Angels. As of Tuesday, Kimbrel was 24 years, 344 days. The next youngest to reach 100 saves was Chad Cordero, who was 25 years, 86 days when he got his 100th save with Washington, which gave Kimbrel more than three months of leeway.
“It’s definitely pretty cool, but I’m not really putting any emphasis on it,” Kimbrel said. “I just look at it as going out there and doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Kimbrel also has a chance to reach 100 saves in the fourth fewest chances, behind Eric Gagne, who got there in only 104 chances, John Smoltz, who did it in 107, and Joakim Soria who reached 100 in 112 chances. If Kimbrel converts his next save, it will be in his 113th chance, which would tie him with Kazuhiro Sasaki (2002), John Axford (2012) and Joe Nathan (2006).
Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty was curious how Kimbrel compared with Gagne, an NL Cy Young award winner. And he had a chance to ask former Braves catcher David Ross, who caught Gagne during his record streak of 84 consecutive saves for the Dodgers.
“I remember asking Rossy in 2011, is he as good as Gagne?” said O’Flaherty, referring to Kimbrel’s first full season as the Braves closer. “And Rossy was like ‘no chance.’ At the end of that year, he was like ‘Yeah, he’s as good. He’s every bit on that level, maybe better.’”
O’Flaherty said he makes that case to all the Braves newcomers, that despite all they’ve heard about Kimbrel, wait until they see him day in and day out.
“He’s got some of the most ridiculous stuff you’ve ever seen,” O’Flaherty said. “The thing about him is some guys have deception, some guys have velocity, some guys have one really good pitch. He throws 100 mph and he’s deceptive and he’s uphill and he’s got a great breaking ball. He’s a nightmare for hitters.”
Kimbrel isn’t as concerned about when he reaches 100 as he is making it well beyond. Injuries ended Gagne’s career after only 187 saves at age 32.
“I’m trying to play longer than that and stay successful longer than that,” Kimbrel said. “All I can do is go outing by outing and season by season.”
B.J. Upton watch: After striking out four times in an 0-for-4 night Monday to drop his season average to .148, it wasn't surprising to see that B.J. Upton was out of the leadoff spot Tuesday night in favor of Andrelton Simmons. It might have been surprising to see him batting second, but Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said that was as much about who else he had available in Tuesday's lineup.
“There’s nobody else in that lineup that’s going to hit second that is a base runner, a guy that you can do something with (like bunt or hit and run),” Gonzalez said. “You can’t do that with (Juan) Francisco. It’s not (Brian) McCann, not (Evan) Gattis. I like Danny (Uggla) where he’s at, swinging the bat right now.”
The hope was maybe Upton would get a few more pitches to hit in front of his brother Justin, too. For now, Gonzalez said he’s just keeping an eye on B.J. Upton’s confidence level.
“As long as he’s battling and fighting. …” Gonzalez said. “As a manager my biggest thing is make sure he’s OK confidence-wise and pump him up. I’m not going to sit there and talk to him about hands or toe tap or look at the ball this way. I’ll leave that to (hitting coaches Greg) Walker and (Scott Fletcher). My job is make sure mentally he’s OK, and he is.”
Heyward update: Jason Heyward took batting practice for the second consecutive day Tuesday, including an extra 30 minutes of early hitting on the field. He continues to progress in his recovery from an appendectomy, but he and the Braves haven't made plans for a minor league assignment yet because Heyward still feels a little tentative defensively.
“It felt fine, but it just didn’t feel as free and easy, didn’t feel as loose, but that’s my first time running outside in 10 days,” Heyward said of his first action shagging flies and running in the outfield. “That’s what I need to do some more of. I feel like once I can go play some defense I’ll have had enough swings and enough running around on the field I can go play.”
Heyward plans to travel with the team to San Francisco and then likely go on assignment from there or from the next stop, in Arizona. Gonzalez is not in a frame of mind to rush him. Heyward still wouldn’t be a month removed from surgery until May 20.
“For him just to miss a couple weeks, a month, is probably in the realm of the right time,” Gonzalez said. “I know there have been a couple guys who have been eight, nine, 10 days (out) but for the most part, it takes a while. You don’t know how it affects everybody.”
