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Red Sox Select Zach Penrod, Designate Tyler Heineman

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The Red Sox announced five transactions this morning, including the news that left-hander Zach Penrod’s contract has been selected to the big league roster.  Catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster, and left-hander Cam Booser and right-hander Zack Kelly were both optioned to Triple-A Worcester to create space on the active roster.  Boston also called up southpaw Bailey Horn from Triple-A.  Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe (X link) was the first to report on the Penrod, Booser, and Horn transactions, while MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (via X) reported yesterday that Kelly was being optioned.

Kelly and Booser were two of six pitchers used by the Red Sox in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Yankees, so today’s moves brings some fresh arms into Boston’s relief corps.  For Penrod, he is now on the verge of his Major League debut, making quite a culmination of a six-year pro career that began as an undrafted free agent.

Penrod pitched briefly with the Rangers’ rookie league club in 2018 but he then spent two years on the sidelines due to both a Tommy John surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season.  The southpaw returned to pitch in the independent Pioneer League from 2021-23, and this performance caught the eye of Red Sox scouts and led to a minor league deal partway through the 2023 season.  This year, Penrod has a 4.16 ERA over 62 2/3 combined innings at Double-A and Triple-A ball, as well as a huge 34.8% strikeout rate.

There is a pretty wide variance in those minor league numbers, as Penrod posted a 2.80 ERA in 35 1/3 Double-A innings and a much heftier 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 frames in Worcester.  Control has been a bit of a question mark for Penrod throughout his career, and his walk rate also spiked up to 16.1% in Triple-A after a more palatable 9.1% number in Double-A action.

Still, the strikeouts are playing at both levels, and Penrod’s upper-90s fastball makes him an interesting bullpen weapon for the Red Sox to explore.  Penrod has mostly started throughout his pro career but worked out of the pen for 10 of his 15 appearances in Worcester, so Boston figures to use him in a long relief role here at the tail end of the 2024 season.  As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe explored back in May, Penrod’s development of a slider as a third pitch after his fastball and changeup could help him carve out a path as a starter, but the 27-year-old is surely pleased to work in the majors in any capacity.

The Red Sox acquired Heineman in a trade with the Mets back in February, and he has spent almost the entire season in the minors save for two games at the MLB level.  Connor Wong and Reese McGuire handled most of the catching duties for the Sox this season, and after Danny Jansen was acquired at the trade deadline, McGuire was outrighed to Triple-A and Heinemen was pushed even further down the depth chart.

With his two appearances in a Red Sox uniform, Heineman has now now suited up for five different teams at the big league level over his five seasons in the Show, and he has also been organizational depth for six other franchises.  Heineman has hit .216/.297/.280 over 286 career plate appearances, with 174 of those PA coming as a member of the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2022.  Because Heineman has been outrighted before, he has the ability to elect free agency and reject an outright assignment from Boston if he clears DFA waivers.

Red Sox Place Wilyer Abreu, Chris Martin On Injured List

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June 5: The Red Sox announced this morning that Martin has now been placed on the 15-day IL due to anxiety. Kelly has indeed been recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Martin, 38, has pitched 21 1/3 innings for Boston this season and logged a 4.22 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate against an exceptional 2.4% walk rate. He allowed three runs and two of the four homers he’s surrendered all season during his last appearance on May 30. His IL placement is retroactive to June 2, although given the nature of his absence, there’s no way of telling how long he might be away from the team. For now, Martin will understandably take some time to focus on his mental health.

Kelly, 29, will rejoin the Sox after previously posting a 2.16 ERA over 11 appearances (16 2/3 innings) earlier in the season. He’s also fired 10 2/3 scoreless innings in Worcester. Despite those pristine earned run averages, Kelly has battled significant command troubles. He’s walked 20% of his Triple-A opponents this season and 13.9% of his big league opponents. He’ll need to cut down on the free passes if he’s to continue finding this level of success.

June 4, 6:05pm: Per Ian Browne of MLB.com on X, the Sox didn’t make a roster move with the pitchers prior to the game, so Martin is still on the roster while Kelly is not.

3:10pm: The Red Sox announced that they have placed outfielder Wilyer Abreu on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 3, due to a right ankle sprain. Catcher Tyler Heineman has been recalled in a corresponding move. Manager Álex Cora announced the Abreu news prior to the official announcement on WEEI’s Jones and Mego, with Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic among those to relay the news on X. Chris Cotillo of MassLive previously reported the Heineman recall on X.

Cora also said, per McCaffrey on X, that outfielder Tyler O’Neill is going to start a rehab assignment with Worcester tonight. The plan is for him to play just one rehab game and then be reinstated tomorrow, though there’s a possibility he stays with Worcester for a second contest. That makes it possible that Heineman’s stay on the active roster will be brief.

Right-hander Zack Kelly is also coming up, per tweets from Cotillo as well as Tommy Cassell of Worcester T&G Sports, though that has not been announced by the club. Right-hander Chris Martin will be placed on the 15-day IL in a corresponding move, per Cotillo on X. The club hasn’t announced a reason for Martin’s IL stint but he has been battling soreness in his non-throwing shoulder this year.

Abreu’s injury is unfortunate for the Sox in many ways, one of which is how his injury came about. The outfielder appeared to hurt himself via a misstep walking down the dugout steps, with video relayed on X by Tyler Milliken, associate producer of Zolak & Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

That frustrating injury will rob the Sox of a player who has emerged as a key piece of the club. Since his debut last year, he has taken 274 plate appearances for the Sox. His 26.3% strikeout rate in that time is a bit on the high side but he’s also walked at a 10.2% rate and hit eight home runs. His .286/.358/.482 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 131. He’s also stolen 10 bases and received strong grades for his outfield defense.

He is hoping for a short stint on the IL, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe on X, saying that an MRI revealed nothing but a lot of inflammation and swelling. But it will nonetheless compound an injury problem that has beset the Boston position player group. Abreu joins O’Neill, Trevor Story, Triston Casas, Vaughn Grissom, Romy González and Masataka Yoshida on the IL. With all of those injuries, Heineman was the only healthy position player not already on the roster.

For today, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder and Bobby Dalbec are in the starting outfield while Ceddanne Rafaela has moved to shortstop. O’Neill will rejoin the outfield rotation in the coming days, as mentioned.

Red Sox Sign Brad Keller

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11:50AM: The Red Sox have officially announced Keller’s signing and optioned Kelly in the corresponding move.

10:12AM: The Red Sox are nearing a deal with right-hander Brad Keller, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. The deal is pending a physical and the club hopes to make it official before today’s game against the Brewers, which is scheduled to begin at 1:35pm local time. Cotillo adds that right-hander Zack Kelly has been optioned to the minors to make room for Keller on the active roster. Boston’s 40-man roster currently stands at 39, so no corresponding 40-man move will be necessary to add Keller.

Keller, 28, signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal back in March and made five appearances with the club, including two starts, before being designated for assignment last week. Keller subsequently elected free agency and returned to the open market with a 4.86 ERA in 16 2/3 innings of work with Chicago under his belt. That performance may be better than what Keller earned, as he struck out just 17.1% of batters faced while walking 7.9% and allowing a whopping 29.4% of his fly balls to leave the yard for home runs. Those iffy peripherals left him with a 6.55 FIP and a 5.16 xERA, although a 4.02 SIERA and 4.09 xFIP both suggest Keller’s ERA was actually higher than what should have been expected based on his underlying performance.

Regardless of the results from Keller’s time with the White Sox, he’ll now get another opportunity to re-establish himself at the big league level in Boston. Keller was once a promising mid-rotation arm with the Royals, as he posted a 3.50 ERA and 3.90 FIP across his first 360 1/3 innings of work in the majors between 2018 and 2020. Since then, however, his results have declined drastically. His final three seasons in Kansas City saw him post a 5.14 ERA with a 4.79 FIP before he was ultimately sidelined partway through the 2023 campaign by a shoulder issue before undergoing surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome back in October. TOS is a particularly difficult injury for players to come back from, and players such as Stephen Strasburg and Chris Archer have seen their careers negatively impacted by the issue in recent years.

Keller will hope to buck that trend with the Red Sox, joining a pitching staff that appears poised to lose right-hander Garrett Whitlock to elbow surgery after already losing righty Lucas Giolito to that same procedure earlier in the year. The club is currently relying on a starting rotation of Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Cooper Criswell, and Nick Pivetta. While it’s possible that Keller could slot somewhere into that mix, a more likely scenario would be Keller joining veteran righty Chase Anderson as a potential multi-inning relief and spot starter option in the club’s bullpen mix.

Making way for Keller on the club’s active roster is Kelly, who is in his third season as an up-and-down reliever for the Red Sox. The right-hander has generally pitched to solid results when in the majors for the club, with a career 3.18 ERA across 39 2/3 innings of work. Kelly has been particularly effective this season, with a strong 2.16 ERA in 16 2/3 frames despite a 19.4% strikeout rate and a massive 13.9% walk rate that have left him with a lackluster 4.99 FIP. Now back in the minors, Kelly figures to act as optionable depth for the club going forward alongside Josh Winckowski and Naoyuki Uwasawa.

Red Sox Place Brayan Bello On Injured List Due To Lat Tightness

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The Red Sox announced that right-hander Brayan Bello has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 21, with right lat tightness. Right-hander Zack Kelly has been recalled in a corresponding move.

The news is unfortunate for both Bello and the Sox. He cemented himself in the club’s rotation plans last year by tossing 157 innings over 28 starts with a 4.24 earned run average. His 19.8% strikeout rate was subpar but he only walked 6.7% of batters and kept 56.2% of balls in play on the ground.

The Sox clearly have faith in Bello’s future and put their money on it by signing him to a $55MM extension back in March. Since Bello had generally had stronger strikeout numbers in the minors, the club likely hoped that there was still room for him to grow as a pitcher. He showed a bit of progress here in the early going of 2024, striking out 23.6% of batters faced through his first five starts.

Unfortunately, that progress will now be put on hold, as Bello is the latest in a line of Boston players to get hurt. Lucas Giolito required season-ending surgery back in the offseason and pitchers like Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Bryan Mata and Chris Murphy have also landed on the injured list.

Now that Bello is joining that group, the Boston rotation is down to Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski and they will have to figure out who is going to step up. Veteran Chase Anderson is with the club and has been throwing multi-inning stints out of the bullpen, so he would be one option. Naoyuki Uwasawa is on the 40-man roster and currently on optional assignment. The Sox recently acquired Vladimir Gutierrez, though he just made a one-inning bullpen appearance at Triple-A on Sunday, so perhaps they view him more as a reliever.

The club’s starters have a collective 1.80 ERA so far this year, which leads the majors. That’s a big reason why they’ve managed to keep pace in the highly competitive American League East. But the mounting injuries will obviously make it challenging to maintain that kind of performance going forward. The club hasn’t yet provided any estimates for how long they expect Bello to be out of action but more information should be forthcoming either today or in the days to come.

Red Sox Designate Kyle Barraclough For Assignment

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The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning. The club activated right-hander Zack Kelly from the 60-day injured list, and in corresponding moves optioned righty Nick Robertson to Triple-A while designating fellow right-hander Kyle Barraclough for assignment.

Kelly’s return, while not necessarily unexpected, is surely a major relief for both the Red Sox and Kelly himself. The 28-year-old righty has been on the 60-day injured list for most of the season to this point thanks to an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his throwing elbow he underwent at the beginning of May. Despite battling injuries to this point in his big league career, Kelly has been effective on the mound when healthy, with a career 3.86 ERA in 21 innings of work that includes a 3.68 ERA across six appearances this season. In returning for the final games of the season, Kelly should have the opportunity to test his arm ahead of the offseason and prepare himself for a typical offseason regimen with an eye on returning to the club’s bullpen in 2024.

The move spells the end of Barraclough’s tenure with the Red Sox. Once a quality reliever with the Marlins who posted a 3.21 ERA (122 ERA+) and 3.45 FIP to go with a 29.8% strikeout rate from 2015-18, Barraclough has struggled in limited big league opportunities ever since. In 63 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2019 season, Barraclough has seen his strikeout rate dip to 23.1% despite an elevated 12.7% walk rate. As a result, his ERA has ballooned to 6.11 with a 6.45 FIP during that time. To make matters worse, Barraclough’s strikeouts have all but evaporated this year: he’s punched out just four of the 46 batters he’s faced with Boston.

While Barraclough’s results at the big league level have been rough for several seasons at this point, he figures to look ahead to the offseason with a solid chance of landing a minor league deal somewhere, should he choose to do so. After all, the veteran righty has a track record of past success in Miami and has never stopped performing at the Triple-A level, with a career 3.44 ERA in 170 innings of work at the level. Robertson also figures to look toward translating success in the minors to big league production headed into 2024, as the 24-year-old hurler sports a brutal 6.33 ERA in 21 1/3 career innings as a major leaguer despite a sterling 2.98 ERA in 51 games at the Triple-A level.

Red Sox Notes: Deadline Spending, Kennedy, Sale, Injury Updates

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The Red Sox have a 41-42 record and are 4.5 games out of a wild card berth as the calendar flips to July, so it remains to be seen whether or not the team is truly a contender for the postseason.  In the opinion of Sox team president/CEO Sam Kennedy, “we definitely believe that this group can string a run together and get us back in this thing,” but Kennedy admitted to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam that “this is obviously not where we want to be.  It’s sort of been a tale of two teams, given the streaky nature of our play….Every time we have a great stretch we seem to then falter and fall down.”

With this in mind, Kennedy said that Boston’s first order of business is just to play some consistent baseball, before considering any next steps.  “No one’s thinking about the trade deadline right now. We’re just thinking about trying to put ourselves in a position where we’re looking to add to this team,” he said.

Kennedy’s comments are similar to those made by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom earlier this week, and Kennedy reiterated that upper management has “no concern” over Bloom’s ability to improve the roster, and that Bloom “will have full authority to do what is in the best interest of the organization, short-term and long-term.”

Bloom’s future with the Red Sox has been a topic of some controversy given the team’s relative lack of results over his three-plus seasons in charge of the front office, and the potential end of his contract.  According to McAdam, Bloom’s deal is thought to last through at least the 2024 season, which would indicate that Bloom received a five-year contract when he was initially hired by the Sox after the 2019 campaign (unless Bloom has since signed an extension).  The Red Sox are 235-232 during Bloom’s tenure, with a trip to the ALCS in 2021 sandwiched between last-place finishes in 2020 and 2022.  The Sox are currently in last place again in the AL East, though with the caveat that the club plays in baseball’s hardest division.

Money is apparently not an issue for ownership, as Kennedy stated that “if we’re in position to add to this team as we approach the deadline, there won’t be any hesitation or reservation about” spending beyond the luxury tax line.  As per Roster Resource, Boston’s luxury tax number is just shy of $221.3MM, and thus under the $233MM Competitive Balance Tax threshold.  Of course, while Kennedy didn’t address this possibility, one would imagine that the Sox might look to stay under the threshold if they do indeed fall out of contention over the next few weeks, given how Bloom’s attempts to both buy and sell at last year’s deadline resulted in a roster that finished with both a losing record and a tax bill.

August 1 is not just deadline day, but also the first day that Chris Sale would be eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list.  Initially played on the 15-day IL on June 2 with right shoulder inflammation, it was soon announced that Sale was suffering from a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, and was facing yet another lengthy IL stint.

The good news is that Sale has been cleared to start throwing, after undergoing another MRI on Thursday.  The plan is for Sale to throw every other day for the time being, with the southpaw throwing from 60 feet but not at max effort.  Beyond these first steps, Sale’s timeline is still largely undetermined.

“This isn’t a very common issue,” Sale told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and other reporters.  “We had a couple guys who were reference points from the past, but again how many times am I going to stand up here and say something freak happened?  So obviously, could have been worse, and [I’ve] been through worse.  Just happy for today to be able to start this process and get back to doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora also updated reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham) on several other injured players.  Yu Chang and Richard Bleier will each start a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland this weekend, while Pablo Reyes’ rehab assignment is slated to begin on Tuesday.  John Schreiber has thrown a pair of bullpen sessions and could be nearing a rehab assignment of his own, once he faces hitters during a live batting-practice session.

Zack Kelly also started a throwing program yesterday, which is particularly notable considering that the right-hander underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his right elbow back in early May.  There was some optimism at the time that Kelly might be able to return before the end of the season, and while there’s much to be done before this becomes a reality, it’s certainly a good sign that Kelly is already throwing in some limited capacity.

Zack Kelly Undergoes Nerve Procedure, Could Return This Season

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Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his throwing elbow, the club announced. The Sox had announced a few weeks ago that Kelly would require surgery, though the procedure didn’t take place until today.

While Boston didn’t provide a recovery timetable, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports the team isn’t ruling out a return in September. That the 28-year-old reliever could potentially make it back to an MLB mound this season counts as good news considering Kelly’s injury initially seemed disastrous. He was visibly distraught when he sustained it on a pitch during an April 12 outing in Tampa Bay. The general concern was he’d suffered some form of ligament damage, but an MRI instead revealed it was a nerve issue.

Fortunate as it is Kelly won’t require Tommy John surgery, he’s still in line for an extended absence. The Sox have already placed him on the 60-day injured list. He’ll be paid at the MLB minimum rate while he recovers.

In other Boston pitching news, righty Garrett Whitlock went for a medical evaluation today. Whitlock himself is on the injured list due to ulnar neuritis, though his issue seems far less serious than Kelly’s. Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic reports that Whitlock avoided any new symptoms during today’s examination (Twitter link). According to McCaffrey, he’s been cleared to begin throwing from 45 feet.

Whitlock will be out until at least the second week of May. It’s not clear if or how long beyond the minimal stint he’ll require on the shelf, though it’s a relief he’s throwing within five days of his IL placement. Manager Alex Cora has already told reporters the Sox will keep Whitlock in the rotation — where he’s pitched this year after bouncing between starting and relief last season — whenever he’s ready to return.

Red Sox’ Zack Kelly To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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5:25pm: The Red Sox issued an update to reporters, including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. His UCL and brace are both in tact, but he needs an ulnar nerve transposition. Three to five months is the expected range of his recovery, but it also could be longer.

3:27pm: Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly will undergo right elbow surgery in the coming days, manager Alex Cora announced to the team’s beat this afternoon (Twitter link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). While he won’t require Tommy John surgery, Kelly will require a procedure to repair a previous internal brace that was inserted into his pitching elbow.

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets that Kelly originally had an internal brace operation — an increasingly common Tommy John alternative that can be performed on some but not all ligament tears (dependent on the extent and placement of the damage) — performed back in 2020. Cora did not indicate whether Kelly might pitch again in 2023, only stating that he’ll be out “for awhile.” Kelly was already placed on the 60-day IL earlier this week when Boston claimed lefty Brennan Bernardino from the Mariners.

The 28-year-old Kelly sustained his current elbow injury when pitching against the Rays last week (video link via MLB.com). After letting go of an errant pitch that plunked infielder Yandy Diaz, Kelly immediately removed his glove, clutched his elbow, and dropped into a crouch. Trainers came to the mound, and an emotional Kelly walked off the field, clearly fearing that he’d incurred a substantial injury. That indeed was the case, as McCaffrey indicates the previously installed brace came detached on that ill-fated pitch. His ligament is intact, but the new procedure will reattach the brace.

The emotion shown is particularly understandable for Kelly, a 28-year-old journeyman who made his big league debut in Boston last season after going undrafted out of college and grinding through six minor league seasons between three organizations before finally getting his first cup of coffee. He pitched 13 2/3 innings with a solid 3.95 ERA in his debut campaign, and he’d tossed another 7 1/3 frames with three runs allowed in 2023. Overall, in 21 Major League innings, Kelly has a 3.86 ERA and 17-to-10 K/BB ratio.

Red Sox Claim Brennan Bernardino From Mariners

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The Red Sox announced that left-hander Brennan Bernardino has been claimed off waivers from the Mariners.  Bernardino was designated for assignment earlier this week.  To create 40-man roster space, the Sox moved righty Zack Kelly to the 60-day injured list.

Beginning his pro career as a 26th-round pick for the Reds in the 2014 draft, Bernardino finally made it to the big leagues last season, appearing in two games for Seattle and posting 2 1/3 innings of work.  Some nice numbers with Triple-A Tacoma in 2022 helped pave the way for Bernardino’s MLB debut, but the results haven’t been there in a small sample size this year, as the southpaw had a 12.00 ERA in six innings for Tacoma this season.

Bernardino’s career has taken him through the affiliated minors (with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Seattle) and also to the Mexican League for parts of three seasons.  He’ll now add Boston to his resume, giving the Red Sox some extra left-handed relief depth.  Richard Bleier is the only lefty in Boston’s Major League bullpen, as Joely Rodriguez is on the injured list and Ryan Sherriff is at Triple-A.  In all likelihood, Bernardino will join Sherriff as the top left-handed options in Worcester should the Sox feel the need for more southpaw help in the Show.

Kelly was placed on the 15-day IL three days ago due to elbow inflammation, though Kelly was so obviously distraught while leaving the mound that it certainly seemed like he had suffered a more serious injury.  Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) yesterday that Kelly’s MRI results were going to be viewed by the doctor who performed Kelly’s internal bracing procedure in 2020.  No official word has come about Kelly’s status, though the 60-day IL placement will keep the right-hander on the shelf until at least mid-June.

Injury Notes: Cueto, Kelly, Acevedo

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Right-hander Johnny Cueto departed his first outing for the Marlins after recording just three outs and was later placed on the 15-day injured list with biceps tightness. The club hasn’t provided any updates on his expected return timeline but Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald provided a pessimistic update this week, reporting that Cueto could be out of action for several weeks.

That still doesn’t provide much clarity, though it does at least indicate that the 37-year-old Cueto seems ticketed for more than a minimum stay on the IL. That’s a frustrating development for the club, who just signed Cueto to a one-year, $8.5MM deal this offseason. It now seems possible that the veteran could miss a decent chunk of the campaign. He’s coming off a strong 2022 season, but injuries have had an impact on him in previous years. He only made 13 starts over 2018 and 2019 combined due to an ankle injury and Tommy John surgery. He then struggled in 2020 before having improved results over 2021 and 2022.

Without Cueto, the Marlins should still have a good rotation consisting of Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Jesús Luzardo, Trevor Rogers and Braxton Garrett, though the depth will be weaker as long as Cueto is out of the picture. The club has a $10.5MM option for his services in 2024 that comes with a $2.5MM buyout. How they feel about that net $8MM decision will surely be impacted by when he returns and how effective he looks at that point.

Some other injury notes from around the league…

  • The Red Sox announced earlier today that they recalled right-hander Kutter Crawford while placing fellow righty Zack Kelly on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on the moves prior to the official announcement. Kelly was removed from yesterday’s game in obvious distress, both physical and emotional, alternating between grabbing at his elbow area and hiding his face in his hands. “Definitely emotional for two reasons,” Kelly said to Cotillo after the game. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the s*** I went through to get here. It’s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.” Kelly, 28, was an undrafted free agent who toiled away in the minors for many years before finally reaching the big leagues last year. He posted a 3.95 ERA over 13 appearances in 2022 and had a 3.68 mark through six games here in 2023. More information will surely come after Kelly and the club do further testing, but it’s a concerning development for a guy who has obviously walked a long road to make it to the big leagues.
  • The Athletics placed right-hander Domingo Acevedo on the 15-day injured list yesterday. It seems it was an unfortunate freak accident that led to this move, as manager Mark Kotsay told Joe Trezza of MLB.com that Acevedo slipped walking into the dugout on Monday and suffered a left back strain. It’s unclear how long he will be out of action, but the issue is significant enough that Acevedo underwent an MRI, with those results still not publicly known. The 29-year-old righty had a solid season last year, posting a 3.33 ERA over 70 appearances for the A’s, striking out 21.8% of opponents while walking just 6.4%. He has a 13.50 ERA this year, but in a small sample of just five appearances. His return to action will become more clear once the club gets a chance to examine his MRI results.
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