Dodgers To Activate Joe Kelly for Series Finale Against the Padres
One day after losing Caleb Ferguson to injury, the Dodgers will be getting another reliever back. The team had been operating one player short of the roster limit with Joe Kelly serving out his suspension. Today, they will activate Kelly in time for the series finale against the Padres.
Kelly was activated off of the injured list last Thursday and immediately started serving his five-game suspension. Kelly got that suspension reduced from eight games after an incident you might have heard about by now involving the Astros. The Dodgers will immediately slide him into a bullpen that is in need of some help.
Joe Kelly will be activated for tomorrow's game!
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 16, 2020
Kelly has not appeared in a game for the Dodgers since August 8th when he threw a scoreless inning against the Giants. In seven total appearances in 2020, Kelly has yet to be charged with a run. His stuff hasn’t been as sharp as the ERA would dictate though, pitching to a 1.579 WHIP and striking out batters at his lowest rate since 2014.
Kelly is throwing his curveball at an extremely high rate as well, utilizing it over 55 percent of the time. The good news is that his average fastball velocity is still sitting right around 97 mph, right around where he was last year. The Dodgers might have lost Caleb Ferguson to injury, so getting Kelly today is certainly a relief.
The Dodgers play one more game in San Diego before heading to Colorado. They will play four games against the Rockies starting on Thursday.
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That is good news! I don’t know which caused me more concern, Ferguson coming out of the game injured, or Jansen coming into the game!
Jansen looks done as a closer.
Glad Joe is back. Jansen is a train wreck. Roberts is such an idiot to try to let him work things out. It’s his velocity, stupid. Haven’t heard of any miracle cures of increasing velocity as you age. Maybe hydroxychlorquine???
LOL It’s Roberts wanting to be Jansens friend as opposed to doing whats best for the team.
I wasn’t sold on Kelley last year, and I’m still not. Jansen should be relieved of the closing releiver spot. But it should not go to Kelley. He hasn’t showed that he’s capable of being the closer. Treinen looks like the best bet right now. But giving the job to Gonsolin in the postseason could give the Dodgers the shutdown closer they will need in tight games. Kelley should only be a middle releiver. We need a lights out guy to close. Gatorade should become the closer sometime next year. But he would be a better choice than Kelley this year.