The former Astros closer, who agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Phillies, is reviving his career with “unhittable sliders” that struck out a spectacular ace.

Ex-Astros closer making career resurgence with ‘unhittable sliders’ that struck out Bryce Harper

Former Astros and Phillies star closer Ken Giles impressed in his spring training debut with the Braves on Wednesday.

Ken Giles was once regarded as one of baseball’s best relievers. The 33-year-old previously pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. Giles, though, has appeared in a total of nine games since 2020 due to injuries, and most recently appeared in the big leagues in 2022. He’s now looking to make a return to MLB with the Atlanta Braves.

Baseball writer Jayson Stark of The Athletic provided an update on how 2024 spring training is going so far for Giles. On Wednesday, Giles struck out Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Alec Bohm on what Stark referred to as “unhittable sliders.”

Again, Giles still is only 33 years old. Rust may be an issue but he likely still has something left in the tank. Atlanta’s decision to sign him this past offseason could prove to be a sneaky good signing.

Giles enjoyed a number of strong seasons with the Phillies, Astros and Blue Jays. He recorded the most saves of his career in 2017 with Houston, ultimately finishing with 34 while pitching to a superb 2.30 ERA. Giles has primarily been a closer throughout his career but will probably work as a middle-innings reliever if he makes the Braves’ big league team out of spring training.

Staying healthy will be the key for Giles, but there’s no denying his potential. We can’t overreact after just one outing, of course. However, so far so good for the former Astros star. It will be intriguing to see if Giles can make an impact for Atlanta in 2024.