Atlanta declined Yates' $5.75 million option for 2024 on Monday.
The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Yates posted a 3.28 ERA and 80:37 K:BB over 60.1 frames for Atlanta this past season. He will turn 37 in March and his control has regressed, but Yates' bat-missing ability should draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market from clubs in need of a late-inning relief arm.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: PIcks up extra-inning save
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Yates picked up the save Monday against Philadelphia, striking out two in a perfect inning.
Closer Raisel Iglesias entered the ninth with a save opportunity but allowed the Phillies to tie the game and send it to extras. When Atlanta reclaimed the lead, Yates needed only 14 pitches to slam the door and earn his fourth save of the season. While save opportunities are rare, Yates holds a 2.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 55.2 innings as he maintains a high-leverage role in the backend of the Atlanta bullpen.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Snags third save
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Yates walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Dodgers.
Raisel Iglesias had pitched three consecutive days entering Friday, allowing Yates a rare save chance. He got the job done on 21 pitches (14 strikes). Yates has three saves, eight holds and three blown saves with a 7-1 record, 2.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 69:34 K:BB through 52.2 innings this season in a high-leverage role.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Pockets another win
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Yates (5-0) picked up the win Sunday over the Brewers, striking out one in a perfect inning of relief.
The right-hander has become the top vulture on MLB's top team, collecting four of his five wins since the beginning of June -- a stretch in which he's posted a 3.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28:7 K:BB through 20.2 innings. Yates should retain a high-leverage role over the final months for Atlanta, even if the front office brings in more bullpen reinforcements at the trade deadline.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Earns second save
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Yates walked two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday against the Brewers while striking out three to earn his second save of the season.
Yates needed 32 pitches to finish off the 6-4 win. He also gave up a run in his previous two appearances but was still given the save opportunity with Raisel Iglesias having thrown 22 pitches the night before. Yates lowered his ERA to 3.38 with a 52:21 K:BB through 37.1 frames.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Picks up first save
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Yates picked up the save Monday against the Twins, allowing one hit while striking out two over a scoreless inning. He didn't record a walk.
With Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, Nick Anderson and Joe Jimenez all unavailable after working multiple times in Atlanta's previous series, Yates got the call in the ninth Monday and delivered his first save. It was Yates' second save chance of the season, as he blew an opportunity versus the Mets on June 7. Since giving up two runs to Seattle on May 20, Yates has allowed just three runs over his last 14.1 innings while sporting a 20:4 K:BB during that stretch. However, he likely won't be in the mix for many more save chances moving forward as long as the quartet of relievers mentioned earlier are available.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Collects second win
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Yates (2-0) picked up the win in Friday's victory over the Nationals, striking out two in a perfect eighth inning.
The veteran righty got the call with Atlanta down 2-1, and after shutting down the Nats on 16 pitches (11 strikes) he was rewarded when the offense produced two runs in the bottom of the frame. Yates' control still comes and goes as he returns to regular duty for the first time since 2019, but he has emerged as a solid option since the beginning of May, posting a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB over his last 12.2 innings.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Snags win in relief
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Yates (1-0) picked up the win in Wednesday's victory over the Reds, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless eighth inning.
The veteran right-hander hasn't had a regular spot in a big-league bullpen since 2019 due to injuries, tossing only 11.1 big-league innings over the last three seasons, but Yates won a spot in the Atlanta bullpen in camp and recorded his first MLB win since 2018 on Wednesday. The 36-year-old has been far from sharp though, posting a 5.79 ERA and 4:6 K:BB through 4.2 innings to begin the season, and he's unlikely to see consistent high-leverage work without improving his control.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Getting Ks this spring
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Yates walked one and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
The veteran reliever has thrown only 11.1 big-league innings over the last three seasons due to various injuries, including Tommy John surgery two years ago, but he's been healthy in camp as he attempts to make a comeback. Yates has served up two homers in six innings, leading to a 9.00 spring ERA, but his 8:2 K:BB indicates he's still got the ability to miss bats. The 35-year-old is ticketed for middle-relief duty in a crowded Atlanta bullpen that already has A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez locked into setup roles in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, but Yates could still have some fantasy value in deeper formats if he's able to recapture something close to his pre-injury form.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Completes live session
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Yates (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session of spring training Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Yates made his return from March 2021 Tommy John surgery in August last season, but he stayed healthy for about a month before succumbing to inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow. Fortunately for Yates, the long offseason provided ample time for him to overcome the setback, and he reported to spring training without any restrictions. Yates is only four years removed from a season in which he was arguably the game's top reliever, but now that he's in his mid-thirties and has just 15 relief appearances at the big-league level under his belt since that banner 2019 campaign with the Padres, Atlanta is simply hoping that he can serve as a dependable setup option in front of closer Raisel Iglesias.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Throws bullpen Friday
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Yates (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Yates has been sidelined since mid-September due to right elbow inflammation but has been optimistic he'll be able to return this season. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available for the playoffs, but he's trending in the right direction and would likely be able to have a relatively normal offseason, even if he isn't cleared to return to game action.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Lands on injured list
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Yates was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to Sept. 13.
Yates returned to action Aug. 10 after recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in March of 2021. He picked up two holds while posting a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in seven innings over nine appearances across the last month, but he'll now be forced to miss time with elbow inflammation. It's not yet clear whether he'll be back prior to the end of the regular season, but it's possible that the team exercises caution with the 35-year-old given how recently he returned from rehabbing a significant elbow issue.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Doesn't think season is done
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Yates (elbow) believes he'll be able to return this season, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Yates didn't make his season debut until Aug. 10, and he only made it nine outings into his return from Tommy John surgery before hitting the injured list with renewed elbow troubles. An MRI didn't show anything worse than inflammation, so he remains optimistic that he'll be back before the end of the year. He didn't show much to get fantasy players excited during his brief time with the team, however, as he gave up four runs in seven innings while striking out six and walking five.
Yates (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Yates underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2021 and spent the last year and a half recovering. However, he was cleared to begin a rehab assignment in mid-July and posted a 1.08 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 8.1 innings over eight appearances in the minors over the last few weeks. The 35-year-old converted 41 of 44 save chances for the Padres in 2019, but he'll likely serve as a middle reliever or setup man for Atlanta since the team has Kenley Jansen and Raisel Iglesias available for late-inning work.
Yates (elbow) will make his next rehab appearance Wednesday with Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Yates' last two rehab outings took place at Double-A Mississippi, and he's yet to surrender a run while on his current stint. "Everything's going really, really good right now," stated manager Brian Snitker, per Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves have yet to reveal a concrete timetable for the reliever's return, though it seems likely he'll need just a few more appearances in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Rehab moves to Double-A
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Atlanta transferred Yates' (elbow) rehab assignment from the rookie-level Florida Complex League to Double-A Mississippi on Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
While he was in the FCL last weekend, Yates made his first appearance at any level since August 2020, as he missed last season and the first half of the 2022 campaign while recovering from March 2021 Tommy John surgery. Though his appearance came mostly against teenaged prospects, Yates was sharp in his FCL outing, striking out two over a scoreless inning. He's expected to make one-inning appearances Friday and Sunday for Mississippi before potentially moving his rehab assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett next week.
Yates (elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday, Jeff Schultz of the Athletic reports.
Yates has been slowly working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2021 and appears set to return to Atlanta's bullpen in the coming weeks. It's unclear which affiliate he'll start his rehab assignment with, but he'll likely need to make multiple appearances before being added to the active roster. Yates remains on track to join Atlanta at some point in early August.
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Braves' Kirby Yates: Remains at spring complex
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Yates (elbow) continues throwing at Atlanta's spring training complex, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
It has been nearly two months since Yates resumed throwing, but Atlanta is not in any hurry to rush him back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March of 2021. The expectation remains that he will be ready to rejoin Atlanta at some point in August.
