MLB Pitcher Found Faith Amid Daughter’s Health Struggles
By Movieguide® Contributor
Nine-time MLB All-Star pitcher Craig Kimbrel is opening up about how he found his faith.
“Yeah, I think my story is a lot like others. I grew up kind of around a church,” Kimbrel told Scott Linebrink on the “Get In The Game” podcast. “There were families at church that we could hang out with, so we would go. It didn’t really resonate on me like what was being taught, what was being preached. Yeah, we all kinda have an understanding, but you can only hear it if you wanna listen to it.”
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“So, that was me for quite a while. Met my beautiful wife, and she introduced me to it, still, you know, struggle understanding and learning. It wasn’t really to me you don’t wanna, you know, put hardships on it, but, you know, I got to see a lot of amazing things happen,” the MLB pitcher said as he became emotional.
Kimbrel’s daughter Lydia was born with a heart condition in Dec. 2017 which required surgeries.
“There’s no denying it’s been the toughest thing we’ve ever been through,” Kimbrel said at the time.
But her health struggles marked a turning point in his faith.
“I mean, it’s been seven years,” he continued. “But my daughter was born, and she walked through a lot. Had heart issues, and we talked about this. It’s hard to think back on it at times, especially in this setting, you know, we’re talking about like what opened my heart and my wife’s heart [to faith], and it was definitely hers.”
READ MORE: MLB ALL-STAR PITCHER TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE JESUS PLAYS IN HIS LIFE
In 2023, Kimbrel closed out the final inning in the 2023 All-Star game, which marked his ninth All-Star appearance.
“It’s a crazy list to be on,” he told MLB.com. “I try not to focus on accomplishments too much or what I’ve been able to do. I try to focus on what I want to continue to do. But it’s one of those ‘pinch yourself to see if things are real’ type stuff.”
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