Kerfeld, battling elbow, neck and weight problems, struggled in the minors in 1988 and 1989. He was on the Astros' Opening Day 1990 roster, but appeared in only five games, going 0 – 2 with a horrendous 16.20 ERA. His last game for the Astros was April 19, 1990. Ten days later, Kerfeld was traded to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Kevin Dean and pitcher Lee Johnson. He pitched 30 innings in relief for the Braves that season, but was released during the offseason. He was signed by the Detroit Tigers and pitched briefly for their AA affiliate the London Tigers in 1991, but retired following that season.