ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves have a big hole in their bullpen now that closer Arodys Vizcaino will miss the rest of the season after undergoing right shoulder surgery.
Vizcaino had the procedure Wednesday in New York. He pitched in four games this season, posting one save and allowing one run in four innings for the reigning National League East Division champions.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos has heard fans chanting at SunTrust Park for the team to sign free agent closer Craig Kimbrel and bring him back to Atlanta, and he indicated the Braves are exploring all available options.
"There's been a ton of turnover from the beginning of camp to where we are today," Anthopoulos said Wednesday. "I think it goes without saying we're going to look to do what we can both internally and externally."
Even before Vizcaino got hurt, there was speculation that Kimbrel, who closed games for the Boston Red Sox last season - which ended with them celebrating another World Series title - would return to the Braves, his original MLB team. Kimbrel, who is from Alabama, was the NL rookie of the year in 2011 and played with Atlanta until being traded to the San Diego Padres in April 2015 as the Braves dealt away players to rebuild their farm system.
Anthopoulos declined to say if the team had already reached out to Kimbrel, but the Braves appeared set to stick with A.J. Minter and other relievers to fill Vizcaino's role for the immediate future.
Going into Wednesday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta ranked 24th in the majors with a 5.43 bullpen ERA and 25th with two saves this season. The 25-year-old Minter was 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA after allowing a career high-tying three runs in Tuesday's loss to Arizona.
"I just don't want to position it like I'm trying to foreshadow like great expectations - 'Oh, he's working the phones. They're going to get someone tomorrow,'" Anthopoulos said. "But for me to sit here and say, 'We're good, everything's great, this too shall pass,' when Viz is down, that would be very insincere."
The 28-year-old Vizcaino was put on the 10-day injured list a few days ago with right shoulder inflammation. Vizcaino, on a $4.8 million, one-year contract, has often been injured during his two stints with the club.
Dr. David Altchek performed the surgery. He cleaned up Vizcaino's labrum and removed scar tissue from the right shoulder joint.
"When he's right, he's one of the best there is," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Vizcaino. "I felt for him. The kid cares. He wants to help this club and just wasn't able to do it."