LOS ANGELES ― The Dodgers placed pitcher Joe Kelly on the 15-day injured list Sunday with elbow inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts said the injury is one Kelly has been dealing with all season.
“He was going to try to go (Sunday) after giving him a few days off,” Roberts said. “He said he ‘could’ go. When a player like Joe says he ‘could’ go, that’s doing it for the organization, for teammates. For us, that’s telling.”
Kelly’s IL stint was backdated to Aug. 10. The 35-year-old has appeared in four games for the Dodgers since he was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 28. He’s struck out seven batters in 3 ⅔ scoreless innings.
One day after Yency Almonte went on the 15-day IL with a knee injury, Kelly’s injury leaves the Dodgers without another right-handed reliever for the near future. A pitcher will be called up from the minor leagues Monday to take Kelly’s place.
When Kelly returns, Roberts said he will be used with caution, possibly excluding Kelly from pitching on back-to-back days.
Left-hander Victor Gonzalez, who took Almonte’s roster spot, made his first appearance since July 2 in Sunday’s game against the Rockies and threw a scoreless ninth inning.
MARTINEZ RESTS
J.D. Martinez was available off the bench Sunday but did not play. Roberts said the designated hitter is on track to return to the starting lineup Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Amed Rosario started at DH in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.
Martinez, who’s missed the Dodgers’ last seven games, received an epidural injection in lieu of going on the injured list. Roberts said “we can’t do anything worse” by playing Martinez. The pain is independent of workload, making the source of his recent pain is a bit of a mystery.
“It’s just the wear and tear of a Major League Baseball player,” Roberts said. “The back, the hips ― there are certain things that just accrue. It’s not from lack of preparation. We don’t know the answer.”
ALSO
Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup one day after he was hit by a pitch in the right knee in Saturday’s game. Roberts said Freeman, who’s played all 117 games this season, was sitting in the chair in the manager’s office after Saturday night’s game, waiting to tell Roberts he would be available Sunday. “I didn’t try to even go there,” Roberts said. … Bobby Miller, Clayton Kershaw and Lance Lynn are scheduled to start the Dodgers’ three games against the Milwaukee Brewers in that order. … Triple-A pitcher Ryan Pepiot threw six perfect innings before allowing a single in the seventh in the Oklahoma City Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers have an off-day Monday.