ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays informed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel that he will be designated for assignment following a 9-1 loss to the White Sox at Tropicana Field, clearing a roster spot for starter Freddy Peralta, whom the club acquired in a trade with the Mets.
Peralta is expected to join the Rays at Coors Field on Monday. Tampa Bay made room on its 40-man roster by transferring outfielder Jake Fraley, who is dealing with a hernia, to the 60-day injured list. Dropping Kimbrel will open a spot on the 26-man roster. The club has not officially announced the move.
Kimbrel, 38, signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on May 26 after the Mets designated him for assignment and he cleared waivers. He pitched better in St. Petersburg, logging a 3.86 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks in 18 2/3 innings over 19 appearances. In his final outing, he gave up one run on a hit and two walks with one strikeout.
The right-hander’s career credentials are among the most decorated in relief pitching history. Kimbrel’s 440 saves rank fifth all-time across 17 Major League seasons. He is a nine-time All-Star who carries a 2.67 career ERA with 1,314 strikeouts in 884 appearances. His hardware includes the 2011 National League Rookie of the Year Award, the 2014 Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award, the 2017 Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award and a 2018 World Series ring.
Tampa Bay’s bullpen depth made Kimbrel expendable. Major League saves leader Bryan Baker anchors the back end, with setup men Kevin Kelly and Garrett Cleavinger working the late innings. Cam Booser and Casey Legumina have carved out key middle-inning roles despite not starting the season in the bullpen.
The Rays expect further reinforcements soon. Right-hander Cole Sulser, sidelined with a back injury, should return from the injured list in the near term, and right-hander Manuel Rodríguez — a high-leverage option when healthy — is progressing well in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham.