Joe Kelly

David Price Replaces Joe Kelly On Dodgers’ NLCS Roster

By Sean Bavazzano | October 22, 2021 at 2:02pm CDT

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts announced that right-hander Joe Kelly has been removed from the team’s playoff roster following a bicep injury that occurred in the first inning of last night’s game. Left-hander David Price has been added to the 26-man roster in his place.

Kelly ran into trouble serving as an opener against the Braves, allowing a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman that ultimately proved inconsequential as the Dodgers stormed back not long after. After facing just four batters Kelly walked off the mound with what is being termed a biceps strain. Even if the Dodgers advance to the World Series this strain will prove season-ending for Kelly. Injury removals of this sort render players ineligible to return for the current or next series, meaning even a speedy recovery wouldn’t enable Kelly to rejoin the pen.

Despite last night’s hardships Kelly had been a reliable weapon out of the bullpen for Roberts, as he allowed just one run in 4 2/3 playoff innings up to that point. That had continued a trend of strong work this year, as the bespectacled reliever finished the season with an impressive 2.86 ERA/3.08 FIP, a 27.5% strikeout rate, and 58.4% roundball rate across 44 innings.

Price meanwhile has served as a utility pitcher of sorts in his first regular season action with Dodgers. Following his opt-out of last year’s shortened season Price has embraced the role of occasional starter, middle reliever, and game finisher. Opposing batters haven’t had much difficulty facing the former Cy Young winner, hitting .272/.339/.428 with just a 17.8% strikeout rate. An above average ability to avoid hard contact and keep the ball out of the air however has allowed the lefty to post a serviceable 4.03 ERA/ 4.23 FIP across 73 2/3 innings this year.

In one more piece of ominous Dodgers news, Roberts also reported that left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl is dealing with arm soreness. On the year the rookie pitched to a 2.89 ERA/ 3.97 FIP with a strong 50% roundball rate across 18 2/3 innings. While the lefty sported only a 15.1% strikeout rate in his inaugural season he displayed much stronger bat-missing abilities in the minors throughout his career, frequently checking in with strikeout rates north of 30%. A call hasn’t been made on whether or not to replace Bruihl on the roster just yet, though this continues an unwelcome trend of playoff injuries for the team after replacing Justin Turner on the roster yesterday.

NL Injury Notes: Syndergaard, Betts, Kelly, Hoerner, Peralta

By Darragh McDonald | August 22, 2021 at 10:36pm CDT

Noah Syndergaard is expected to begin a rehab assignment this week, according to Tim Healey of Newsday Sports. As was previously reported, the Mets are planning on having the hulking righty return as a member of their bullpen, since there’s not enough time remaining in the season for him to be stretched out as a starter. This would be his second rehab assignment of the year, as he attempts to work his way back from undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. He had previously had a rehab stint in May, before being shut down due to elbow inflammation. It’s now been almost two years since his last big-league appearance, which was September 29th of 2019. The final few weeks of the season will be tremendously important for both Syndergaard and the Mets. The team needs all the help they can get to pull themselves out of their current nosedive. Despite having the division lead in the NL East as recently as August 5th, they are now in third place and seven games behind the Braves. As for Thor, he is a few weeks away from entering free agency for the first time and could help his own case by showing some health and effectiveness before the season ends.

Dodgers Activate Corey Knebel From 60-Day Injured List; Place Joe Kelly On IL

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2021 at 2:01pm CDT

The Dodgers announced two bullpen moves, activating right-hander Corey Knebel from the 60-day injured list. Knebel will take the place of Joe Kelly, who was placed on the injured list for unspecified reasons.

Knebel hasn’t pitched since April 23 due to a right lat strain, marking yet another significant injury setback for the veteran righty. Tommy John surgery sidelined Knebel for the entire 2019 season, and he was limited to 13 1/3 innings last season due to both a hamstring problem and some struggles on the mound — Knebel had a 6.08 ERA over 13 1/3 frames.

Los Angeles acquired Knebel from the Brewers in the hopes that he could return to his old All-Star form from 2017, and though Knebel only tossed six innings before hitting the IL, there were some positive signs. Knebel struck out nine of 24 batters faced, and his fastball was averaging 96.4mph. This was well above his 94.4mph mark from 2020, and roughly around what Knebel averaged in his heyday in Milwaukee’s bullpen.

Dodgers Activate Joe Kelly, Place Scott Alexander On 10-Day IL

By Connor Byrne | May 6, 2021 at 6:16pm CDT

The Dodgers have activated right-handed reliever Joe Kelly and placed lefty Scott Alexander on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 3) with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets.

Kelly, who’s in the final season of a three-year, $25MM guarantee, hasn’t pitched at all in 2021 on account of ongoing shoulder problems. Those issues played a role in limiting Kelly to 10 innings last season, and he revealed last week that he underwent surgery in November. When healthy, the hard-throwing 32-year-old has given the Dodgers 61 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball with a 26.5 percent strikeout rate, a 10.5 percent walk rate and a stellar 60.6 percent groundball rate.

The addition of Kelly is a step forward for Los Angeles, but the loss of Alexander represents a step in the wrong direction for the reigning World Series champions. Alexander has been one of the Dodgers’ most effective relievers this year, having recorded a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 frames. While Alexander has only totaled five strikeouts, he has offset that by allowing one walk, and the 31-year-old has induced grounders at a 63.2 percent clip.

Quick Hits: Zimmermann, Voit, Dodgers, Red Sox

By Connor Byrne | April 30, 2021 at 9:53pm CDT

Veteran right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was on the brink of calling it a career Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes, but he changed his mind when the Brewers selected his contract. “I think I was retired for about two hours,” said Zimmermann, a Wisconsin native whom the Brewers promoted as a result of recent injured list placements for fellow pitchers Corbin Burnes, Brett Anderson, Zack Godley and Josh Lindblom. Now that Zimmermann will continue on, the former Nationals star will try to get his career back on track after a subpar run with the Tigers from 2016-20.

Yankees first baseman Luke Voit could make his 2021 debut as early as May 11, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays. In the meantime, Voit – who underwent left knee surgery in late March – will start a rehab assignment at Double-A next week. The Yankees’ offense has improved since an ice-cold start to the season, but there’s no doubt the unit is better with a healthy Voit. The 30-year-old slugger led the majors with 22 home runs over 234 plate appearances last season and slashed .277/.338/.610 (152 wRC+).
The Dodgers’ bullpen has gone the first month of the season without righty reliever Joe Kelly, who’s on the IL with a shoulder issue. While Kelly is finally nearing his season debut, it turns out he has been dealing with a rather severe injury that required surgery in November, he revealed to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. “We found some cysts,” Kelly said. “My shoulder hasn’t been good since the end of 2019. But during my suspension after the thing with the Astros (early August) my arm was super weak. If I was laying on a table I couldn’t lift my arm past gravity. They asked me how long it was going on for and I told them forever. I couldn’t sleep at night and it felt like fire ants were eating my arm from the inside-out.” Kelly’s shoulder troubles helped limit him to 10 frames in the 2020 regular season, though he did contribute five appearances of 3 2/3-inning, one-run ball during the Dodgers’ World Series-winning playoff run.
The minor league contract that utilityman Danny Santana signed with the Red Sox initially included an opt-out date for today, but the two sides have agreed to push it back to the middle of May, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports. On March 15, less than two weeks after joining the Boston organization, Santana was hospitalized with a foot infection that required surgery. Santana is still working back from that and will begin a minor league rehab assignment at the High-A level next Tuesday, per Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.

Dodgers Injury Notes: Knebel, Kelly, McKinstry, Gonsolin, Lux

By Anthony Franco | April 24, 2021 at 6:03pm CDT

Dodgers reliever Corey Knebel left last night’s game against the Padres with an apparent arm injury and he’s in for a lengthy absence. Knebel is going on the injured list with a right lat strain, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). He won’t undergo surgery but will be out for a few months, with Roberts saying the organization hopes Knebel will be able to “pitch for us again this year” (Plunkett link).

Given that timetable, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Dodgers eventually transfer Knebel to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot. It’s a disappointing development for the righty, who missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent some time on the IL last year due to a hamstring strain. Acquired from Milwaukee over the winter, Knebel has pitched six innings over eight appearances for the Dodgers this year, allowing three runs on three hits and as many walks with nine strikeouts.

Roberts also provided updates on a host of other injured players. Reliever Joe Kelly (shoulder soreness) is expected back in early-mid May, while utilityman Zach McKinstry will need more than the 10-day minimum IL stint to recover from his recent oblique strain (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Right-hander Tony Gonsolin, who is recovering from shoulder inflammation, began a long toss program but is not yet ready to work off the mound (per Plunkett). The news wasn’t all bad though, as second baseman Gavin Lux is expected to return from the IL when first eligible on Monday. Lux has been sidelined by right wrist soreness.

With Knebel and Dennis Santana (side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine) going on the injured list, the Dodgers are recalling infielder Matt Beaty and lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger (Toribio link). Cleavinger, acquired from the Phillies in a three-team deal over the winter, will be making his Dodger debut if he gets into a game.

NL Injury Notes: Soroka, Mikolas, Kelly, Martinez

By Anthony Franco | March 7, 2021 at 7:26pm CDT

Mike Soroka threw two innings in “simulated game conditions” this morning, reports David O’Brien of the Athletic. That marks a key milestone in the 23-year-old’s recovery from the ruptured Achilles that ended his 2020 season last August. It remains unclear precisely when Soroka will be ready to pitch this year, although O’Brien notes there has been “widespread speculation” of a late April or early May return. Soroka has a 2.86 ERA/4.33 SIERA over his first 214 big league innings.

The latest on some other health situations around the National League:

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas had been expected to throw a bullpen session today, but that’ll be pushed back to Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat were among those to note. Manager Mike Shildt said the right-hander feels good but wouldn’t guarantee Mikolas will be ready for Opening Day. Mikolas missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his forearm, but the current issue is a “creaky” shoulder, notes Zachary Silver of MLB.com.
Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly looks unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The right-hander has been dealing with shoulder soreness, but he has been able to throw a few bullpen sessions recently, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com. The hard-throwing Kelly spent a month on the injured list last season with shoulder inflammation.
José Martínez has a “twisted left knee” after colliding with an umpire during today’s Spring Training contest, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. He’ll likely go for an MRI tomorrow. The Mets signed the 32-year-old Martínez this winter after he struggled through a down 2020 season split between the Rays and Cubs. A significant injury would be a blow to his chances of earning a backup first base/corner outfield role this spring.

Dodgers Place Caleb Ferguson On 10-Day Injured List

By Connor Byrne | September 16, 2020 at 6:59pm CDT

6:59pm: Ferguson suffered “a pretty good tear,” per Roberts (via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). The Dodgers are preparing to go without Ferguson for the postseason.

4:38pm: Ferguson’s season appears to be over. Manager Dave Roberts told Sportsnet LA that Ferguson has UCL damage, Pedro Moura of The Athletic tweets. There’s no decision yet on whether Ferguson will undergo Tommy John surgery, but he has already had the procedure once in the past.

3:22pm: The Dodgers announced that left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson is headed to the 10-day injured list with an elbow issue. They recalled righty Josh Sborz in a corresponding move.

This is a tough loss for the Dodgers’ bullpen, though it’s unclear whether Ferguson will be OK by the time the playoffs start in a couple weeks. Their relief corps has been among the best in the majors, ranking second in ERA and FIP, thanks in part to Ferguson. The 24-year-old has thrown 18 2/3 innings of 2.89 ERA/3.58 FIP ball with 13.02 K/9, 1.45 BB/9 and a 54.5 percent groundball rate this season, all while averaging over 95 mph on his fastball and handling right-handed hitters (.287 weighted on-base average) and lefties (.278) alike.

Even without Ferguson, the Dodgers still boast plenty of capable arms in their bullpen, including Blake Treinen, Kenley Jansen, Victor Gonzalez, Dylan Floro, Jake McGee and Adam Kolarek. And the Dodgers are officially getting back Joe Kelly, whom they reinstated from the injured list Sept. 10 after he missed a month with right shoulder inflammation. Kelly was initially ineligible to pitch after he returned, though, as he had to serve a five-game suspension that’s now up.

Dodgers Place Walker Buehler On 10-Day Injured List

By Connor Byrne | September 10, 2020 at 6:47pm CDT

The Dodgers have placed starter Walker Buehler on the 10-day injured list with a blister and activated reliever Joe Kelly, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets.

This is the second blister-related IL placement in recent weeks for Buehler, whom they first placed on the shelf Aug. 27. The right-hander made a quick return with five shutout innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Sept. 2, but Buehler gave up five runs (two earned) to the D-backs in 2 2/3 frames on Tuesday. The Dodgers still managed to win that game, though, and at 32-12, they look like shoo-ins to capture the National League’s top seed as the playoffs approach.

Considering where the Dodgers are in the standings, it makes sense for the team to be cautious with Buehler – a key part of a rotation that has been among the league’s best in 2020. While Buehler hasn’t revisited his 2018-19 form, he, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urias have still made up a formidable group.

As for Kelly, he’s back after going to the IL on Aug. 10 with right shoulder inflammation. Kelly won’t be available to pitch immediately, though, as he’ll first have to serve a five-game suspension stemming from a dustup with the Astros on July 28.

Pitching Notes: Hader, Bumgarner, Pearson, Dodgers, Beeks, Wright

By Connor Byrne | August 25, 2020 at 10:23pm CDT

On a night in which White Sox ace Lucas Giolito fired the first no-hitter of 2020, let’s check in on several other notable pitchers…

The Brewers are “listening” to offers for star reliever Josh Hader, but it’s not likely the club will trade the 26-year-old left-hander before the Aug. 31 deadline, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes (subscription link). Milwaukee was also willing to entertain proposals for Hader last winter, but it elected to retain him heading into this year – his first of four potential arbitration seasons. For a bargain price this season (a prorated $4.1MM), Hader has given the Brewers 9 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings with 13 strikeouts and five walks. He’s obviously not someone the Brewers are going to give up for anything less than a massive offer.
After throwing a 70-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Diamondbacks southpaw Madison Bumgarner could be closing in on a return from the injured list, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Bumgarner has been on the IL since Aug. 9 with a mid-back strain, but he came out of his bullpen session unscathed, which manager Torey Lovullo called “very encouraging news.” The former Giant’s first season as a Diamondback has been anything but encouraging, though. After inking a five-year, $85MM contract in the offseason, Bumgarner has logged a 9.35 ERA/8.79 FIP with 6.75 K/9, 3.63 BB/9 and a 23.7 percent groundball rate in 17 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old averaged a career-worst 87.8 mph on his fastball during that four-start stretch, but Lovullo revealed Bumgarner’s “velo ticked up a little bit” during sim games.
Right-hander Nate Pearson, whom the Blue Jays placed on the IL on Aug. 19, has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, according to Scott Mitchell of TSN. He’s hoping to play catch this weekend, Mitchell reports, though it remains unclear if the rookie will return in 2020. Pearson struggled to a 6.61 ERA/7.60 FIP with 7.71 K/9 and 6.61 BB/9 over four starts and 16 1/3 frames before going on the shelf.
Dodgers righty Joe Kelly has been on the IL since Aug. 10 with shoulder inflammation, and a return isn’t imminent for the reliever. Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday (via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) that Kelly remains “a ways away” from rejoining the Dodgers. When Kelly does come back, he’ll have to serve a five-game suspension stemming from a July 28 dustup with the Astros. Meanwhile, Dodgers lefty Alex Wood won’t come off the IL before the end of the month, Gurnick tweets. Wood, who’s also dealing with shoulder inflammation, has only made one appearance this year (on July 25).
The Rays’ injury-laden pitching staff may have lost yet another hurler Tuesday, when southpaw Jalen Beeks left their game with an elbow/forearm issue. Manager Kevin Cash didn’t come off as optimistic afterward, saying (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com), “It sounded similar to Kitt, but we don’t know anything yet.” Cash was referring to righty Andrew Kittredge, who went on the 45-day IL on Aug. 12 with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. A similar fate would be a season-ender for Beeks, who has been terrific in 2020. The 27-year-old has notched a 3.26 ERA and a much more impressive 1.74 FIP with 12.1 K/9 against 1.86 BB/9 across 19 1/3 innings.
Veteran knuckleballer Steven Wright hasn’t taken a major league mound since July 13, 2019, but the former Red Sox righty informed Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he’s not ready to call it a career. “I just don’t want to sit back in a few years and wish I had tried it,” said the soon-to-be 36-year-old Wright, who threw 35 pitches from a mound last week and told Abraham, “I’m throwing two bullpens a week and I’m feeling healthy for the first time since 2016.” Wright was an All-Star that year, but he then faced knee problems, Tommy John surgery, a performance-enhancing drugs suspension and an arrest on domestic violence charges (which led to a 15-game ban) during the ensuing seasons.

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