Red Sox Star Closer Craig Kimbrel Returns to Team After Daughter's Second Heart Surgery

Craig Kimbrel has vowed to be available when the Boston Red Sox face the Rays in Tampa Bay on Opening Day on March 29.

Last month, the Red Sox closer took a leave of absence to be at his four-month-old daughter's side as she underwent heart surgery.

Lydia was born in November last year with a congenital heart malfunction and has already undergone surgery twice.

"Everyone is sending out prayers that have definitely been heard," Kimbrel said in a media briefing on Monday, as reported by MLB.com.

"She's in a good, comfortable place for me to be down here. If she wasn't, I wouldn't be here. Again, I just want to thank everybody for being so understanding and everything they've done for us."

Understandably, Kimbrel, who joined the Red Sox from the San Diego Padres in 2016, admitted his daughter's ordeal had taken a heavy psychological toll on his family but there were reasons to be optimistic about her recovery.

"There's no denying it's been the toughest thing we've ever been through," he added. "In the last week, her recovery has been unbelievable, and she's showing great signs."

Lydia could be kept in hospital for up to another month before being released and she will have to undergo a third and final surgery, although the procedure will not be carried out until she is at least three-years-old.

Kimbrel missed spring training to spend time with his daughter but practiced daily at Babson College, which is located close to Boston Children's Hospital.

"My family comes first and then baseball comes," Kimbrel added. "Stepping away for a few hours was definitely a release. It did help to get in the weight room. It did help to throw the ball. But that's not going to take away the emotions we went through in the hospital."

Red Sox players wore T-shirts carrying the #LydiaStrong message during a warmup before a pre-season game earlier this month and Kimbrel explained his family had been touched by the show of support.

"It meant everything," the 29-year-old said. "Knowing I'm away and knowing everyone down here had me on their minds and my family on their minds, this is my family as well.

"We spend more time with each other than we do our own families. We're going to be going through this the entire year. So having their support and having them behind me to get together and to do something like that, it was great."