Joe

Kelly

Despite the Dodgers winning the World Series, the 2024 season was a struggle for Kelly personally. The 36-year-old right-hander missed nearly three months due to a pair of shoulder ailments and was limited to just 32 innings in 35 appearances on the season. He wasn’t sharp when he was healthy either — registering a 4.78 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 35/16 K/BB mark. He has a long enough track record that he won’t have any trouble finding work this winter, but there’s no guarantee that he returns to being the elite setup man that he once was.

This explains why Kelly is not on the roster for the series against the NLDS against the Padres. The right-hander will be eligible to return in the coming playoff series, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that he wouldn’t be available until the World Series, if the Dodgers were able to advance.

The Dodgers are carrying 13 pitches, so Grove gets a spot despite finishing the year in the minors. Henriquez, 22, also makes the team after only three career major league relief appearances. Both were picked over Joe Kelly, who allowed one run in four innings after coming off the IL last month. With just 13 hitters on the roster, Kevin Kiermaier loses out.

Kelly is back after two hitless innings in a rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had been sidelined since Aug. 31 with shoulder inflammation.

If all goes well, he’ll come off the injured list next week. Kelly was placed on the IL on Aug. 31 with shoulder inflammation.

The 36-year-old hurler sustained the injury during Friday’s outing against the Diamondbacks. No word yet on how long he’ll be sidelined for. Brent Honeywell was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move on Saturday to take his place in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

As anticipated, the 36-year-old right-hander will rejoin the Dodgers’ bullpen for Friday night’s second half opener against the Red Sox. In 15 appearances before landing on the injured list with a right posterior shoulder strain, Kelly registered a 4.73 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 14/5 K/BB ratio over 13 1/3 innings. He gives manager Dave Roberts yet another weapon to deploy in the late innings.

The 36-year-old right-hander has been on a minor league rehab assignment since the start of the month as he works his way back from a balky shoulder. Kelly has made just 15 appearances with the Dodgers this season, posting a 4.73 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 14/5 K/BB ratio over 13 1/3 innings.

Kelly will need to make a handful of relief appearances at least as he works his way back from his shoulder injury, and he’s already been ruled out until after the All_Star break. Once back, Kelly has a good chance of being a mid-to-late inning option for the Dodgers in the second half of 2024.

Kelly will need a rehab assignment before returning, and the right-hander will not be able to complete that assignment before the break. The 36-year-old has been on the injured list since May 6 because of his shoulder trouble, and he’ll likely pitch in the middle-innings once he’s activated off the 60-day IL.