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Kinley (4-2) picked up the win over the Nationals on Friday, striking out two in a perfect 11th inning.
The right-hander fired seven of his 11 pitches for strikes to leave the phantom runner stranded, and Kinley was rewarded for his efforts when Chadwick Tromp walked it off with a single in the bottom of the 11th. Kinley has four wins and seven holds in 24 appearances this season, but his performance has regressed in May as he's posted an 8.22 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB over 7.2 innings while serving up all four of the homers he's allowed in 2026.
Braves' Tyler Kinley: Collects first win of season
Rotowire
Kinley (1-0) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one hit and striking out two over a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in a victory over the Angels.
Reynaldo Lopez got ejected with two outs in the fifth inning and Atlanta ahead 4-2 at the time, failing to qualify for the win as a result, so Kinley was credited with the decision as the next man out of the bullpen. Kinley has had a strong start to the season, posting a 0.00 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 5:1 K:BB through 4.2 innings over five appearances, but he's still looking for his first hold as part of the bridge to the high-leverage duo of Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez.
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Braves' Tyler Kinley: Set for setup role
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Kinley will begin the season as part of Atlanta's bullpen, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
No surprise here after Kinley posted a 0.72 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over 25 innings for Atlanta last season following his trade from the Rockies, and then re-signed with the NL East squad on a one-year, $4.5 million deal this offseason. Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez will be the top right-handed high-leverage arms for Atlanta, but Kinley could still post strong a strong holds total as one of the primary options for the seventh inning -- his career high in holds is 15, set in 2024 for Colorado.
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Braves' Tyler Kinley: Back with Atlanta
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Kinley signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with Atlanta on Saturday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta declined Kinley's $5.5 million club option for 2026 earlier in the offseason, but the team will now bring the 34-year-old reliever back on a more team-friendly deal that also includes a club option for 2027. Kinley owned a 5.66 ERA and 1.45 WHIP through 47.2 innings when the Rockies shipped him to Atlanta at the trade deadline, at which point the right-hander flipped a switch and posted a 0.72 ERA and 0.68 WHIP across his final 25 frames. He'll likely face a healthy amount of competition for high-leverage opportunities in Atlanta, but his recent body of work should keep him in the late-inning mix heading into the new season.
Atlanta declined Kinley's $5.5 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The decision comes as a bit of a surprise, as Kinley pitched well for Atlanta after being acquired at the trade deadline, posting a 0.72 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over 25 innings. It's possible Atlanta will look to bring back Kinley at a lesser rate, but the veteran reliever is now free to negotiate with all teams.
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Braves' Tyler Kinley: Bumpy Atlanta debut
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Kinley gave up two hits and a walk in a scoreless seventh inning during Thursday's extra-inning win over the Reds. He struck out one.
Making his debut for Atlanta after being acquired from Colorado on Wednesday, Kinley was brought in with the game tied 3-3 and nearly made a mess of things, loading the bases with one out before getting Spencer Steer to pop out and fanning Jake Fraley. With closer Raisel Iglesias surprisingly still on the roster after the trade deadline, Kinley will be on the fringes of high-leverage work for his new club while Pierce Johnson and Dylan Lee continue to handle setup duties.
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Braves' Tyler Kinley: Dealt to Atlanta
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Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Austin Smith, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Atlanta is expected to be a seller ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but Kinley's contract contains a fairly reasonable $5 million club option for 2026. The 34-year-old holds a 5.66 ERA this season, but he's struck out 51 over 47.2 innings and could find more effectiveness away from Coors Field. Kinley could be in the mix for saves in Atlanta, depending on what other relievers get moved prior to the deadline.
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Rockies' Tyler Kinley: Secures save Sunday
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Kinley earned the save in Sunday's 4-3 extra-innings win against the Brewers, pitching a clean inning with two strikeouts.
After Kyle Farmer knocked home the automatic runner in the top of the 11th, Kinley succinctly wrapped the game on 12 pitches, nine of which were strikes, in the bottom of the frame. The 34-year-old was able to notch his first save since June 6, while Seth Halvorsen, who had recorded Colorado's previous three saves, pitched a scoreless ninth to force extras. Kinley now sports a 6.75 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 35:24 K:BB across 36 total innings.
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Rockies' Tyler Kinley: Blows three-run lead
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Kinley (0-3) allowed four earned runs on four hits and one walk while recording just one out to take the loss Wednesday against the Giants.
Kinley entered the game in the eighth inning with a three-run lead, but he allowed five of the six batters he faced to reach base. The big blow came from Mike Yastrzemski, who delivered a two-run double to tie the game at 6-6. Kinley has now allowed multiple earned runs in three of his last four outings, though Zach Agnos has also struggled mightily in high-leverage situations of late. That could open the door for Seth Halvorsen to get the next few save chances.
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Rockies' Tyler Kinley: Notches second save
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Kinley struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his second save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Marlins.
With Zach Agnos on the bereavement list and Seth Halvorsen having pitched two straight days, the save opportunity fell to Kinley, and he breezed through Miami's 2-3-4 hitters on 15 pitches (nine strikes). Kinley did record 12 saves in 2024, but he's no better than third in the pecking order this year for the Rockies despite a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 9:7 K:BB over his last 11 innings dating back to May 10.
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Rockies' Tyler Kinley: Struggles continue in second loss
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Kinley (0-2) took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks in 1.1 innings during Tuesday's 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Cubs. He struck out one.
Kinley's struggles on the mound continue, as he now owns an abysmal 10.03 ERA, 2.14 WHIP and 9:11 K:BB over his last 11.2 innings. The 34-year-old right-hander has a lone hold and just one save in two opportunities on the campaign, so he remains well behind Zach Agnos and Seth Halvorsen in Colorado's bullpen hierarchy. The recently returned Victor Vodnik also looms as an option in high-leverage situations.
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Rockies' Tyler Kinley: Notches first save
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Kinley allowed a hit and struck out three batters in a scoreless inning during Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Nationals. He earned a save in the win.
Kinley coughed up a leadoff single to Dylan Crews before striking out the next three batters to close out the 3-1 victory. It was Kinley's first save of the year. He's thrown eight consecutive scoreless frames after coughing up two runs in each of his first two appearances of the season. Seth Halvorsen pitched 1.1 innings during Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Kinley has not allowed a run and has a 6:1 K:BB across four innings of Cactus League action.
Kinley is among the top candidates to begin the season as Colorado's closer, and he's performed very well to begin spring training. He earned a career-high 12 saves with the Rockies in 2024, though that was paired with an ugly 6.19 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.
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