HAMSTRING ISSUE PUTS KELLY ON DL
Kelly heads to 10-day DL with strained left hamstring
Roughly an hour and a half after manager John
Farrell touted Joe Kelly’s improved durability and reliability in the bullpen, the Red Sox made an outof-the-blue announcement yesterday that the righthander had been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Reliever Brandon Workman was recalled from Triple A to take Kelly’s spot on the roster.
The news was unexpected and robbed the Red Sox of arguably their most trusted reliever outside of Craig Kimbrel.
With his 1.49 ERA and 23 straight appearances without allowing a run, Kelly had emerged as the team’s go-to set-up man, and he even had a solid case for an All-Star selection. Just yesterday afternoon, Farrell said he thought Kelly was getting to the point that he could be used in back-toback games, something the Red Sox had yet to do in Kelly’s first season as a fulltime reliever.
“I think he’s getting to the point where, physically, hey, I’m good to go the next day,” Farrell said. “We’ve kept him out of days when he’s felt fine just to make sure that he’s stayed strong throughout, which he has. But we’ll see back-to-back start to emerge here — on days he’s available.”
While statistically significant, Kelly’s performance had gone largely unnoticed, even by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s parents. “My parents are in town,” Dombrowski said on Thursday. “So, they’re sitting there and my dad’s a big baseball fan. He follows us. And he said, ‘Gosh, it looks like you really need a set-up guy, right?’ And I said, ‘I’m not sure why we need a set-up man.’ I said, ‘Dad, Joe Kelly hasn’t given up a run in 2½ months. (Last weekend was) the first run he’s given up in 2½ months, and now all of a sudden, we need a set-up guy?’ Again, can you get better? Yes. I don’t think it’s a glaring need for us.”
The Red Sox had originally planned to have Workman activated as the 26th man for today’s doubleheader. That spot will now go to someone else.
Holt inches closer
Brock Holt could be back with the Sox as early as tonight. Although it seems more likely the longtime utility man will return from the disabled list tomorrow or Tuesday, Farrell left wide open the possibility of activating him for the second game of today’s doubleheader against the Yankees.
“(Tomorrow)’s a possibility,” Farrell said. “I mean, we have a day-night doubleheader (today). It could be (tonight) as well.”
Farrell said the team could activate Holt between games if necessary.
It’s been a long road back for Holt, who’s been on the disabled list since April 21 because of recurring vertigo symptoms. He’s suffered numerous setbacks and slowdowns along the way, playing in a total of 24 minor league games attempting to get back.
He was back in Pawtucket’s lineup last night, starting at shortstop. Top prospect Rafael Devers made his Triple-A debut at third base, going 4-for-4 with a double and home run in the PawSox’ 7-4 win in Syracuse, N.Y.
Movers and shakers
Bringing back Holt could mean sending down Tzu-Wei
Lin, the Double-A call-up who has surprised and energized the Sox with his betterthan-expected performance. Lin’s been terrific, but he is left-handed utility man, making him redundant with Holt on the roster.
But that’s not the only intriguing roster move on the horizon.
Eduardo Rodriguez is scheduled to return from a right knee subluxation to start tomorrow, and with
Doug Fister scheduled to start Tuesday, the Sox will have to open a spot for Rodriguez by sending down either a bench player or a reliever, leaving them a man short in one of those two spots.
“We have good players and it forces you to make tough decisions,” Farrell said. “We’ve got the next 24, 48 hours, we’ve got a couple of moves that we’re probably looking at with both (Holt) and Eddie Rodriguez coming back here. So, that speaks to our depth. That speaks to guys that have had good years here from a performance standpoint.”
On the mend
After suffering a setback before the All-Star break, reliever Carson Smith got back on a mound yesterday for a 28-pitch bullpen. He’s scheduled for another bullpen in Fort Myers on Tuesday, then another in Anaheim on Friday. The team hopes he could face hitters soon after that.
“The report out of Fort Myers is good,” Farrell said. “The intensity’s been there. He felt like it was probably 90 percent or better intensity. Secondary pitches are still, he’s getting a touch and feel for that. That was kind of the case prior to this most recent time he had to step back. In terms of the freeness, the action, the effort and intensity. All good. All very good.”