Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to undergo surgery, out 3-6 weeks

Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel will undergo surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and is expected to miss 3-6 weeks, the team announced Saturday.

The right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left knee medial meniscus tear.

Kimbrel, 28, will have surgery on Monday to repair cartilage in his left knee. Head team orthopedist Dr. Peter Asnis will perform the procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Kimbrel was unavailable Friday night for the ninth inning of a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays after tweaking his left knee while shagging fly balls during batting practice.

Red Sox manager John Farrell then sent Kimbrel for an MRI. This marks Kimbrel's first stint on the disabled list in his major league career.

Kimbrel was named to the American League All-Star team as a manager's selection on Tuesday. In 34 appearances this season, he has gone 1-3 with a 3.55 ERA over 33 innings with 50 strikeouts, while converting 17 saves in 19 opportunities in his first year with the Red Sox.

Over his big-league career, Kimbrel has gone 20-15 with 242 saves, a 1.79 ERA over 381 1/3 innings with 613 strikeouts in 389 games for the Atlanta Braves (2010-14), San Diego Padres (2015) and Red Sox (2016).

On Friday night after Kimbrel revealed discomfort in his knee, the Red Sox added some experience to the back end of their bullpen, acquiring right-handed reliever Brad Ziegler from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of minor leaguers.

Ziegler was traveling to Boston and not be available for Saturday's game against the Rays, Farrell said.

Farrell said Ziegler and Koji Uehara will both get save opportunities while Kimbrel is out. Ziegler has a 2.82 ERA and 18 saves in 36 appearances. Uehara has a 4.96 ERA and three saves in 35 games.

The Red Sox also recalled right-hander Noe Ramirez from Triple-A Pawtucket and added infielder Michael Martinez, who also was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on Friday, to the active roster. Infielder Marco Hernandez was optioned to Pawtucket.