Pirates closer Keone Kela will be active for the team’s upcoming series against the Reds, manager Derek Shelton announced to reporters Wednesday (Twitter link via Will Graves of the Associated Press). It’ll be the season debut for Kela, who has yet to pitch since missing Summer Camp due to a positive Covid-19 test.
Kela, 27, confirmed in a late-July interview with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’d tested positive. Despite being asymptomatic, he wasn’t able to meet the requirement of consecutive negative tests, though, which dragged his absence out into a weeks-long ordeal. He was eventually cleared to report to the team in early August and has been building up since that time.
It’ll be a quick ramp-up for Kela, but he’s surely champing at the bit to return. The hard-throwing righty is a free agent for the first time this winter, so he undoubtedly wants as large a window as possible to impress potential suitors — particularly after a minor elbow issue limited him to 29 2/3 frames last year. There’s ample incentive for the Pirates to get him back on the hill, too. Kela represents one of their most obvious trade chips as the team eyes the future and embarks on what looks to be a rebuilding effort. Starling Marte was already traded over the winter.
Kela has pitched in parts of five Major League seasons. He’s had some injury troubles and at times drawn negative headlines for off-field issues — last year’s altercation with a member of the coaching staff led to a team-issued suspension — but Kela is an undeniably talented late-inning reliever. In 214 2/3 big league innings, he’s pitched to a 3.23 ERA with 11.0 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9 and a 41.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’s been particularly strong over the past three seasons, logging a combined 2.84 ERA and 3.20 FIP in 120 1/3 innings of relief between Texas and Pittsburgh. Shelton has previously confirmed that Kela will serve as Pittsburgh’s closer upon his return.
Kela will be traded soon.
Always good to welcome players back from anything COVID related. Not surprised that he had difficulty clearing consecutive negative tests though. He is a natural hot head.
T-correct, very very well done.
Being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan for last 30 years has been very difficult. The common denominators are : Bad Ownership, Extremely bad player development, non existing high profile international free agent signings and no winning culture. MLB is fine with Pittsburgh Pirates never winning a World Series ever again.
Hopefully Cherington can do better for the Pirates. He is moving from the Red Sox with a large payroll to the Pirates with a small payroll so he won’t be able to build a winner the same way he did in Red Sox.
That’s just a general observation. I don’t know as much as a life long Red Sox fan might. Either way, it seems to me he can’t make the team a lot WORSE for Pirate fans.
You think you are frustrated…..,Was born just after 1960. I did get to enjoy the 71 and 79 championships, It was ugly what I remember of the lat 60’s and ugly for just about every year besides those 2 seasons….My dad got to witness the gawd awful 40’s and 50’s before the miracle series in 60 and the fall off after 1960
What? The Bucs were great THROUGHOUT the 70s, not just 2 years.
Hey, considering the ugliness of the 60’s and everything post 70’s, it kind of clouds your memory a bit. You would be right.
If he wants to impress people he can start by not being such a massive d-bag.
Imagine how nasty the Ranger’s bullpen would be right now if we still had Keone. Though I will take Hearn and Apostel any day of the week now (Hearn is in our bullpen as of two days ago btw). The Rangers have a knack for fixing up bullpen pieces, and they are doing it right now with Montero, Hernandez, and Joely Rodriguez. All three of whom are having great starts to the season. Last week our bullpen was in shambles, but now that we have Montero and J-rod back from their absence, our bullpen is back. And that is even without Leclerc. I mean, Montero had never gotten a save in his career until last week, and now he has 3! He hasn’t given up a run, and each save opportunity he gets put it, he finishes. Now for Chavez and Volquez to be replaced by Demarcus Evans and Jose Leclerc.
I give him 5 days before he mysteriously ends up on the IL.
Definitely be traded before deadline
*restricted list
If he does not get injured, how much conditioning has he had before he gets out on the mound?
Maybe a reverse of the trade with the Rangers at the deadline for Hearns?
Hey! Slow your roll haha! The Rangers like Hearns, no way we would take that deal for a Kela rental.
Playing for next year anyway ! Kela,Frazier and Bell gone by trade deadline more than likely. Bring young pitching up let them get their feet wet. Someone may stand out,
I couldn’t see them trade Bell.