Kimbrel worked around two hits to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in Saturday's win over the Reds. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel had a rocky start to the bottom of the ninth, allowing consecutive singles to put runners on the corners, but the veteran reliever then struck out two hitters before ending the game on a Nick Castellanos groundout. Kimbrel has been excellent so far, as he now have five saves in as many chances to go along with a perfect 0.00 ERA. He should have a fairly firm grip on the closer's role moving forward.

Kimbrel, who pitched a clean ninth inning with a strikeout in Thursday's 10-inning win over the Mets, has not allowed a run this season through eight appearances (9.0 innings pitched).

EDGE Analysis

It's been exactly the start Kimbrel and fantasy managers hoped for after the veteran struggled the last two seasons in Chicago. Kimbrel's fastball velocity is basically the same in 2021 as it was in 2020 (96.7 vs. 96.9 mph), but his BB/9 is down and he's also had better luck when he does allow contact. Last year, batters had a BABIP of .333 against the righty, and that figure has dropped to .071 so far this season. That number should increase some, but Kimbrel misses enough bats that he should continue to be successful as long as he keeps limiting free passes.

Kimbrel worked around a hit and two walks to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and secure the save in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel made things interesting, as he loaded the bases with just one out, but the veteran reliever then struck out Brandon Nimmo and induced a Francisco Lindor groundout to end the game. Kimbrel now has four saves this season and has yet to allow a run. He should have a pretty firm hold on the closer's role due to his strong start, but he'll need the 7-9 Cubs to start scoring more runs if he wants to see a significant uptick in save opportunities.

Kimbrel worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless inning in Sunday's 13-4 loss to Atlanta. He struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel hadn't pitched in five days, so the Cubs brought him in for the ninth inning despite the nine-run deficit. The veteran reliever was able to keep Atlanta off the board in the low-leverage appearance, running his scoreless inning streak to seven to start the season. Chicago is just 6-9 through 15 games, but Kimbrel's performance coming off of disappointing 2019 and 2020 campaigns has been a bright spot so far.

Kimbrel pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to record the save in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers. He walked one and struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

It's been smooth sailing so far for Kimbrel, who has started the season with six scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts and three saves across five appearances. If the veteran reliever can keep this up, he should be a valuable fantasy asset the rest of the way, though he struggled mightily each of the last two seasons, so fantasy managers may be hesitant to fully buy into the small sample.

Kimbrel pitched 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to secure the save in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel has yet to allow a baserunner in four appearances (4.2 innings) this season, and he has nine strikeouts and two saves as well. It's an encouraging start for the veteran reliever following two down seasons in Chicago, and he'll be a valuable fantasy asset as long as he's pitching well and closing out games for the Cubs.

Kimbrel pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout in Wednesday's 4-2, 10-inning loss to the Brewers

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel pitched a clean ninth inning in a 1-1 game, but the Cubs allowed three runs in the 10th inning to take the loss. The veteran reliever has yet to allow a hit or a walk across three innings of work, and he's struck out six. It's too early to definitively say that Kimbrel is back to his old self after struggling in 2019 and 2020, but it's certainly encouraging to see him get off to a good start.

Kimbrel recorded his first save of the season, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning Sunday against the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel entered the ninth inning in his first save opportunity of the year and retired all three batters he faced. The Cubs have Kimbrel set up to receive the majority of save situations this season. The veteran reliever was shaky in 2020 and will have to close games more consistently like he did Sunday in order to keep his role.

Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to record the save in Sunday's win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel picked up his first save of 2021 and recorded his second consecutive scoreless outing to begin the season. It's a good start for the veteran reliever, who posted a 5.28 ERA last year and a 6.53 ERA in 2019. Fantasy managers will want to see Kimbrel string together a few more good appearances to really feel confident, but he's got fantasy value as long as he has the closer role in Chicago and is pitching well.

Kimbrel struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning during Saturday's 5-1 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Working in a non-save situation, Kimbrel overpowered the Bucs on 16 pitches (12 strikes). It was an excellent start to the campaign for the veteran closer, who's looking to erase memories of the 6.00 ERA he posted over the last two seasons for the Cubs.