Kimbrel was not used in a save opportunity Monday against the Royals, as Rowan Wick tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to close out a 2-0 win.

EDGE Analysis

Over the weekend, manager David Ross was noncommittal when asked whether Kimbrel would remain the Cubs' closer going forward, and Monday's bullpen usage would seem to suggest Ross has more confidence in Wick. Kimbrel hadn't pitched since Friday, so he was fresh, and no injury has been reported. It simply seems that Kimbrel will be at best sharing the role for now, though it's possible that Wick and Jeremy Jeffress will take the reins in the ninth, with Kimbrel moving to a lower-leverage role for now. The veteran reliever turned in a career-worst 6.53 ERA for Chicago last season and has a 27.00 ERA through two appearances in 2020.

Manager David Ross was noncommittal Saturday when asked whether Kimbrel would remain the Cubs' closer going forward, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel entered Friday's game against the Pirates in the ninth inning during a non-save situation, but he allowed back-to-back home runs to Josh Bell and Colin Moran. The Cubs held on to win 6-3, but the right-hander has now had two rough outings to begin the season after struggling last season. Ross said he would have conversations with Kimbrel to determine his role going forward but declined to say whether he'd handle the ninth-inning duties in the near future. Jeremy Jeffress and Rowan Wick would be the most likely replacements if the 32-year-old loses his job as the closer.

Kimbrel allowed two earned runs on two hits over an inning of work in a non-save situation against the Pirates on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel allowed back-to-back home runs to Josh Bell and Colin Moran in the ninth inning, but the Cubs hung on for the 6-3 win. Kimbrel allowed two earned runs while retiring just a single batter in his first appearance of the season Monday, and the veteran reliever now carries an atrocious 27.00 ERA. It's early, but given the struggles Kimbrel had last season, there is reason to be at least somewhat concerned. If the Cubs did decide to make a change at closer at some point, Jeremy Jeffress or Rowan Wick would likely be next in line.

Kimbrel gave up two runs on four walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch over one-third of an inning during Monday's 8-7 win over the Reds.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran closer was entrusted with a three-run lead to begin the ninth inning but was unable to record the save, as he threw only 13 of 34 pitches for strikes and needed Jeremy Jeffress to bail him out. Kimbrel still got credit for a hold, but this was hardly the way he, the Cubs, or anyone with fantasy shares in him expected his season to begin. If there was a silver lining to the outing it was that his velocity was OK -- he topped out at 97.5 mph with his fastball, on the pitch that plunked Freddy Galvis -- but Kimbrel will need to turn things around fast if he's going to keep hold of the closer spot.

Kimbrel struck out two batters but also allowed a home run in an intrasquad game Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While this is just one outing in a scrimmage, Kimbrel is a player worth watching closely in the early going considering his struggles a year ago. The Cubs and fantasy owners will surely want to see the veteran reliever get off to a fast start. If he looks like he did in 2019 (6.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 20.2 innings) for an extended period of time, Chicago could turn to someone like Jeremy Jeffress or Rowan Wick to close out games.

Kimbrel was slated to do most of his spring training work toward the end of camp but will instead need to ramp up quickly whenever the regular season is able to begin, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

After Kimbrel missed all of last spring training, the Cubs' plan this year was to ease him into Cactus League play and then ramp their closer up over the final week or so of camp. The coronavirus pandemic abruptly changed those plans, meaning Kimbrel will have to hit the ground running whenever the season starts. The 31-year-old struggled out of the gates last year and never really got comfortable in Chicago, and he wasn't off to a great start this spring either with a 10.13 ERA, albeit in just 2.2 innings of work. Fantasy owners would have preferred to see Kimbrel find some success before the regular season started, but they'll instead have to trust that he can find the form that made him a dominant reliever over the previous eight years.

Kimbrel allowed two runs on three hits while retiring just two batters in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

The positive here is that Kimbrel recorded both of his outs via strikeout, but it's hard to be encouraged by how the veteran closer has looked so far this spring. Kimbrel's ERA sits at 16.20, though he's logged just 1.2 innings, so of course the small sample size warning applies. The 31-year-old won't ultimately be judged by Cactus League results, but after posting a 6.53 ERA last season, it would be nice to see him turn in a few strong outings before camp ends.

Kimbrel allowed one run on one hit in an inning of work during Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Reds. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Outside of a solo home run by Derek Dietrich, Kimbrel was fairly sharp in his spring training debut. The Chicago closer had a rough 2019 with a 6.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 20.2 innings, but perhaps going through a more normal routine heading into the season will help him get back on track.

Kimbrel is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel has been easing into spring training work, but he's scheduled to throw a bullpen Monday ahead of his first scheduled game action Wednesday. The 31-year-old joined the Cubs in June last season but experienced some struggles as he posted a career-worst 6.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP as he converted on 13 of his 16 save chances. Although the right-hander's fastball velocity dipped slightly in 2019, he'll look to return to his past efficiency heading into 2020.

Kimbrel, who is set for seven to eight Cactus League appearances, won't appear in an official spring training game for a while as he works on the side, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran has a set spring routine, which is something he missed in a down 2019 campaign as he remained unsigned until June. The 31-year-old is hoping the return to normalcy helps him regain his form from 2018, when he posted a 2.74 ERA, though his fastball velocity has dropped a few ticks each of the past two seasons.