The Atlanta Braves signed Craig Kimbrel to a minor league deal late in spring training, and last week, they called him up to the big leagues. Kimbrel tossed a scoreless inning, but less than 24 hours later, he was designated for assignment.

It was a puzzling decision considering what he's meant to this franchise and due to the fact that the Braves' bullpen has been far from elite. Many were left scratching their heads, and that included a lot of players in the locker room in Triple-A Gwinnett, where Kimbrel was pitching before being promoted.

James McCann, who was Kimbrel's teammate in Triple-A and with the Baltimore Orioles last season, was not happy with how the Braves handled the situation.

Via The Athletic:

“That really frustrated me and a lot of the guys in our locker room were very frustrated with it,” McCann said. “It was strange to call him up for a day and DFA him. He’s not just a run-of-the-mill reliever who became a journeyman after two or three years in the big leagues. He’s a future Hall of Famer.”

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After all, Kimbrel did throw a scoreless inning:

“I’m not going to speak for Craig, but he was also on a cross-county flight that morning. Maybe he didn’t have his legs under him, I’m not sure,” McCann continued. “At the end of the day, he put up a zero. You can’t ask for much more than a zero when you take the mound.”

While Kimbrel may not be pumping fastballs in the high 90s anymore, he showed in that lone outing his ability to still be effective and get outs. The Braves have endured major issues late in games with their bullpen as well. Kimbrel showed that he could have been a valuable arm.

Not exactly the way to treat a franchise legend, but I suppose the Braves had their reasons. It's just unclear what they are.