MIAMI — The New York Mets designated pitcher Craig Kimbrel for assignment Friday, ending the veteran reliever’s short stint with the club.
Kimbrel appeared in 14 games for the Mets and allowed 10 runs in 15 innings. The right-hander worked the final 2 2/3 innings of New York’s 8-4 road loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday and gave up a two-run homer to Jacob Young.
“Super tough,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday of the decision to part ways with Kimbrel. “He understood. He was very professional, but it wasn’t an easy one for me when we talked to him last night.”
New York became Kimbrel’s 10th stop in the majors when he signed a free-agent deal with the Mets in January. Kimbrel had nine scoreless outings but gave up multiple runs in three of his five other appearances.
The 37-year-old has 440 saves in his 17-year MLB career, which began with the Atlanta Braves — one of the Mets’ rivals in the National League East Division — from 2010-14. He also made one appearance last season for the Braves, the only MLB club he has had a second stint with so far.
Another club can claim the nine-time MLB All-Star off waivers, but Mendoza said a scenario exists of Kimbrel returning to the Mets if another team doesn’t claim him.
New York, which began the day fourth in the NL East at 22-28 and 12 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta, recalled right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong from Tiple-A Syracuse in the corresponding move.