ANAHEIM -- The Rays got a boost for their bullpen on Saturday, reinstating veteran right-hander Craig Kimbrel from the 15-day injured list.
To make room on the active roster, right-hander Mason Englert was optioned to Triple-A Durham. The move comes right after Englert posted four scoreless innings in relief in the series opener at Angel Stadium.
Bringing Kimbrel back gives a young Rays pitching staff a dose of experience. The 38-year-old closer has 440 career saves under his belt -- the fifth-most saves all-time -- offering the kind of late-inning stability the team needs right now.
Kimbrel’s time in Tampa Bay has been a whirlwind. He signed on May 26 and immediately struck out two in a scoreless debut against Baltimore, but was put on the shelf with a right wrist strain just a few days later on May 31.
"I feel great," Kimbrel said. "After throwing the live BP the other day and then coming in the next day, it felt great. It just kind of came down to timing and the roster moves and I'm happy to be back today and hopefully I can get in there and do something to help the team win."
Even while sidelined, Kimbrel has been paying close attention to how the Rays use data to help their pitchers succeed, working closely with pitching coach Kyle Snyder.
"One thing that I've noticed too in this organization is the amount of confidence and the amount of data that is given to us to give us confidence to go out there and try to succeed," Kimbrel said. "They do a good job of saying, 'Hey, this is what works for you and it doesn't really matter.' Obviously, they're scouting reports, but you need to stick with your stuff and it's going to be successful. I think the more times you hear that, the more confident guys are going to be."
Manager Kevin Cash noted that having Kimbrel back is huge, especially with the Angels starting a right-handed heavy lineup on Saturday.
"It is nice to have him. Certainly against this lineup of a bunch of righties in there," Cash said. "He's done everything that we've asked as far as the buildup back ... so fully available. Hopefully he can help just stabilize our bullpen. We've got some guys that are having big seasons and he's a special pitcher."
Beyond the metrics, Cash expects Kimbrel’s long career to be a great resource for the rest of the clubhouse.
"I think [he has] quite an impact," Cash said. "He's got some larger lived experiences than probably most of us for the outs that he's been asked to get throughout his career. So hopefully that trickles through, not just the bullpen, but everybody on the club."
The timing of the reinstatement provides an added layer of personal significance. Following the conclusion of the series in Anaheim, the Rays will head to Los Angeles for a high-profile showdown at Dodger Stadium -- a venue where Kimbrel previously anchored the bullpen, and more importantly, in the city where his son was born.
"To me, I mean, my son was born out here while I played for the Dodgers, so that's pretty special," Kimbrel said. "And I still know a lot of the guys over there. Anytime you get to go in and play a group of guys like that -- they've been the best team in baseball for the last few years. So it's always fun to go in there and match up and see what you can do."