The Chicago White Sox are starting a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday, but right-handed relief pitcher Joe Kelly won’t be in the bullpen for manager Pedro Grifol. The White Sox announced on Monday that Kelly is heading to the injured list with a strain in his right groin.
The injury stint is retroactive to April 9, meaning Kelly can return in exactly two weeks at the earliest. The White Sox have called up right-handed pitcher Keynan Middleton to take Kelly’s spot in the White Sox bullpen. The team also had to make room on the 40-man roster Middleton as he joined the big league club, so Jonathan Stiever was out righted to Triple-A.
Kelly last pitched on Saturday, coming in relief of starting pitcher Mike Clevinger with a runner at second base and one out. Kelly got the final two outs against the Pittsburgh Pirates, getting his first hold of the season.
The White Sox certainly haven’t gotten the Joe Kelly from his Los Angeles Dodgers days. In 2022, Kelly also missed time with a leg issue, going on the injured list because of a hamstring strain. The veteran right-hander only made 43 appearances in his first year with the White Sox and was hit hard, posting a 6.08 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 37 innings. Prior to Saturday’s outing against the Pirates, Kelly allowed three earned runs in his first two relief appearances.
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The White Sox signed Kelly to a two-year, $17 million contract that also includes a club option worth $9.5 million for 2024. It is looking way more likely that the White Sox will opt to simply pay Kelly the $1 million buyout instead.
Struggling White Sox Bullpen
Through their first 10 games of the 2023 season, the White Sox are dead last in bullpen ERA by nearly two whole runs. The White Sox bullpen has an 8.31 ERA.
The team has already made a few moves in the bullpen prior to Joe Kelly’s injury. Last week, right-handed pitcher José Ruiz was DFA’d following the team’s terrible three-game series at home against the San Francisco Giants. Ruiz was later traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations.
Long-time minor league pitcher Jesse Scholtens was called up to replace Ruiz in the bullpen.
The White Sox also signed veteran right-handed reliever and former White Sox closer, Alex Colomé to a minor league deal over the weekend.
Colomé was recently with the Washington Nationals, but he was released after struggling with them during spring training. While he put up good numbers with the White Sox, Colomé definitely hasn’t had the same success since 2020, recording a 4.15 ERA in 65 innings with the Minnesota Twins in 2021 and a 5.74 ERA in 47 innings with the Colorado Rockies last season.
New White Sox Reliever Keynan Middleton
Right-handed pitcher Keynan Middleton was with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022. He appeared in 18 games for Arizona, posting a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings. Middleton made his MLB debut in 2017, with the Los Angeles Angels and had an OK rookie season, recording a 3.86 ERA in 58.1 innings.
Middleton was with the Angels from 2017-20, and then pitched for the Seattle Mariners in 2021. Overall, Middleton has a 4.01 ERA in 143.2 innings in the major leagues.
