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Ken Giles. Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Former star closer signs with NL contender, gets another chance to resurrect career

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 2/2/24

Ken Giles is getting another chance to resurrect his career by signing a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves with an invitation to spring training on Friday.

The former star closer will make $1.75M if he makes it back to the majors with the club, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

It's been a long road back to the mound for Giles, who has been severely limited over the past four years due to a litany of injuries.

Giles had a 2.71 ERA w/ 115 saves in 362 appearances over 8 seasons, with 484 strikeouts in 355 1/3 IP. He had 60 saves and 136 Ks in the 2017-2018 season w/ Houson and Toronto. Due to Sept. 2020 Tommy John surgery and other injuries, he pitched only 8 MLB innings in past 4 yrs.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 2, 2024

Giles last pitched in MLB in 2022 w/ Seattle (4 1/3 scoreless inn) and had a 9.50 ERA in 19 games for Dodgers' Triple-A in 2023. Former flamethrower threw 94-96 mph at recent tryout for teams. #Braves see no-risk, potential upside, especially if he can get velo up a bit more.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 2, 2024

He's not "100 Miles Giles" anymore, but the #Braves believe former closer Ken Giles, with current velocity at 94-96 mph and potentially moving a bit higher, is a no-risk proposition with potential high reward. He'll be in big-league spring training.https://t.co/w9WkeK2z3R
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 2, 2024

Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game shared footage of a recent workout that showed the righty routinely hitting the mid-90s on his fastball.

Footage of newly signed #Braves reliever Ken Giles' workout for scouts last week.

He'll be in camp with Atlanta and looking to get his career back on track after four years of setbacks.pic.twitter.com/fLuYzg2q2R
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) February 2, 2024

Giles was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft and spent two seasons with the team in 2014 and 2015. Giles was traded to the Houston Astros in December 2015 and had the best season of his career in 2017, finishing tied for second in the American League in games finished (career-high 55) and tied for fourth in saves (career-high 34).

He earned a World Series ring with the Astros that season despite struggling mightily in the playoffs. Giles finished that year's postseason with an 0-2 record, 11.74 ERA and 2.21 WHIP over 7 2/3 innings pitched.

He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in July 2018 and played two-plus seasons north of the border before his injury issues began.

Giles missed all of the 2021 campaign with the Seattle Mariners after his Tommy John surgery and began the 2022 season on the injured list with a right middle finger sprain that he suffered in spring training. He was designated for assignment that August and joined the San Francisco Giants' minor league system before being released.

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