Joe Kelly Could Be Back With Dodgers Soon After All

Could Joe Kelly be back sooner than expected?

The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has been out since early May with a posterior strain that landed him on the 60-day injured list. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend that Kelly would likely be back after the All-Star break, which is in the middle of July.

However, Kelly is already set to make his first rehab assignment on Tuesday for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the team announced on X. The Quakes are taking on Visalia Rawhide.

Kelly has already pitched a bullpen session since sustaining his injury, and now is taking the next step toward his return. Still, Kelly will likely have to make multiple rehab outings before his return, and the All-Star break is rapidly approaching. It’s possible that even if he stays on this current track, he can’t come back until right after the All-Star break.

When healthy this season, Kelly appeared in 15 games for the Dodgers, posting a 4.73 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched. Overall, Kelly has a 3.96 career ERA.

Kelly is one of several members of the Dodgers’ bullpen dealing with injuries. Aside from starters Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, relievers Ryan Brasier, Evan Phillips, Michael Grove, and Brusdar Graterol have also been out with injuries for parts of the season. Phillips is back with the team, but the rest are still working through their injuries.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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