Craig Kimbrel is one of the most feared relievers in the history of baseball.
On Thursday night, though, Kimbrel was the one involved in a scary moment.
Kimbrel was on the mound in relief for the Kansas City Royals against the Miami Marlins.
The legendary right-hander entered the game in the top of the seventh inning, replacing Michael Wacha.
Kimbrel induced a flyout by Graham Pauley, then got an overturned strike three call to punch out Heriberto Hernandez for two outs in the inning.
That’s when things got weird. Kimbrel started milling about behind the mound, and then he bent over and put his hands on his knees.
Kimbrel began to puke, and Marlins hitter Kyle Stowers walked away from the batter’s box as it was clear Kimbrel would need attention.
Craig Kimbrel Puking
The video isn’t particularly easy to watch, but it does explain how tough this must’ve been for Kimbrel.
Craig Kimbrel puked on the mound as the Marlins ran a commercial for an injury law firm pic.twitter.com/l15x2qIeBL
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 4, 2026
You can see in the video above that the training staff eventually came out to check on Kimbrel.
Kimbrel remained in the game initially, but he hit Kyle Stowers with a pitch.
At that point, Kimbrel was removed from the game. Nate Pearson came in for Kimbrel and got an out to end the inning.
How Did Royals Get Craig Kimbrel?
Kimbrel clearly loves pitching, because he could’ve retired a long time ago based upon his accomplishments.
He signed with the Royals earlier this season simply to get a chance to keep appearing in the major leagues.
Kimbrel entered Thursday having made seven appearances for the Royals and not yet allowed a run.
He had already pitched in 14 games for the New York Mets this season, then another 19 games for the Tampa Bay Rays.
That comes after a 2025 season that saw him pitch both for his former Atlanta Braves as well as the Houston Astros.
Kimbrel is in his 17th year in the major leagues, still with a career ERA of 2.65. He has 441 career saves.
He has pitched in games for the Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Padres, Orioles, White Sox, Rays, Mets, Astros and Royals.
It’s been quite the career journey for Kimbrel, who no longer is the dominant pitcher he once was but still finds a way to go on MLB mounds and get outs.
His legacy will always be tied to his days in Atlanta, but everyone will be hoping he is OK after his tough outing on Thursday night. Baseball is used to having Kimbrel pitch in the late innings, and right now with the Royals, he’s still getting the chance to do just that.
Royals’ Craig Kimbrel Scary Moment Includes Puking, Leaving Game