Who is going to close games for the Braves?

Following a ninth inning collapse that could go down as the worst regular season loss in franchise history, the Braves find themselves with several conundrums on their hand. But none bigger than figuring out who is going to close games for the club the rest of the way.

Coming into the season, Raisel Iglesias had been among the league’s best ninth-inning men in baseball since the Braves acquired him ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. He pitched to the tune of a 0.34(!) ERA in his first 28 appearances to finish that year, and boasted a combined 2.30 ERA between 2023 and 2024, including a 1.95 mark last season.

The Braves bullpen entered Opening Day with a slew of questions. They lost Joe Jimenez to injury and A.J. Minter to free agency — the club’s top two set-up men from the 2024 campaign — and Alex Anthopoulos did nothing to replace them. It was pretty obvious Atlanta’s relief core could struggle at times in high-leverage situations, but the one area nobody was questioning was the ninth inning. Everyone expected Raisel Iglesias to continue doing what he had done his entire career, especially with the Braves.

Given his track record, Iglesias deserved the benefit of the doubt through the first month or so. But the Braves are now approaching the halfway point in the season, and he owns a 6.75 ERA, 5.66 FIP, and 1.542 WHIP, with one of the lowest K-rates of his entire career. Raisel Iglesias can no longer be closing games for the Atlanta Braves, but there’s really no obvious place for Brian Snitker to turn.

A few weeks ago, Daysbel Hernandez made some sense, given the stuff and his early-season success. But the walks are a concern, and now he finds himself on the IL after leaving Wednesday night’s game with an injury. He won’t be available for the next two weeks, and even when he is, it’s probably not wise to thrust someone that is walking 7.4 batters per nine innings into the closing role.

The only person with experience in the ninth inning, and a wealth of it at that, was recently just added to the roster in nine-time All-Star and Braves legend Craig Kimbrel. When Atlanta signed Kimbrel to a minor-league contract at the beginning of the season, it came with no guarantee that he would even join the roster at any point this season, and there was probably no scenario where Braves management thought of him as a potential closer again.

However, Kimbrel has pitched really well in the minors, boasting a 2.00 ERA and 11.5 K/9 over 18 appearances. He knows more than anyone what it’s like to pitch in high pressure situations, and frankly, he also has some of the best stuff — even at 37 years old — of anyone on the roster. If Brian Snitker’s club gets a lead heading into the 9th inning during this weekend’s series in San Francisco, don’t be shocked if some nostalgia sets in, with Kimbrel trotting to the mound in hopes of getting his first save in a Braves uniform since 2014.