Kimbrel struck out two batters in a perfect fifth inning in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Cubs, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kimbrel had appeared in just two games this spring before Tuesday, one being a minor-league contest, and wasn't feeling good about the quality of his pitches. "My breaking ball was good today," he said. "I still have a few clicks on my fastball to find, but overall commanding the ball and getting my breaking ball over for strikes and getting some bite when I needed to." For now, Kimbrel will be used in the role he's most familiar: closing games in the ninth inning. Earlier in the spring, manager Alex Cora talked about using Kimbrel in non-save situations -- high-leverage challenges that pop up in the seventh or eighth inning -- but the manager has backed off that play for the time being.