Joe Kelly Participating in Bullpen Session – Great

The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen was a reliever short for their series finale against the Oakland Athletics as Joe Kelly was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm inflammation right as first pitch was underway at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s an elbow, it’s something that he’s dealt with all year. He was going to try to go today after giving him a few days off. Catch play, said he could go. But when a guy like Joe says he could go, that’s doing it for the organization and teammates,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at the time.

Now a few days removed from that, Kelly is due to test his elbow.

“Joe’s good,” Roberts said. “Joe is going to throw a ‘pen on Friday. I’m hoping that goes well and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Kelly last pitched on August 9, earning a hold in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers backdated his IL stint to August 10, which has Saturday, August 25, the earliest date he can be activated.

Roberts previously indicated the expectation is Kelly will return once eligible.

The IL stint is Kelly’s third of the season, as he missed time in April because of a right groin strain, and 16 days in July with elbow trouble prior to being traded to the Dodgers.

Kelly is 1-0 and thrown 3.2 scoreless innings in four appearances for the Dodgers. He’s allowed just one hit, walked three batters and collected seven strikeouts in those games.

The Dodgers filled Kelly’s roster spot by calling up Gus Varland, who returned to the organization in May after being taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Rule 5 Draft.

Mariachi Joe Kelly bobblehead

The Dodgers added a Mariachi Joe Kelly bobblehead to their 2023 promotional and giveaways calendar for the September 22 game against the San Francisco Giants.

Kelly’s mariachi persona began during the 2021, when he traded a game jersey for the charro jacket from Grover Castro Tiburcio, a California State University, Northridge alumnus and trumpet player for Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar.

Kelly then famously wore the jacket when the Dodgers visited the White House to celebrate their 2020 World Series title, though only out of circumstance.

“Originally I just wanted the jacket. It’s one of those things that was kind of spur of the moment,” Kelly explained at the time. “I saw they were going to perform before our game, and Kenley (Jansen) saw them and brought them down to the field.

“It’s one of those things where I thought in my head, ‘These things are sweet.’ I asked if they wanted to trade, and at the moment I don’t think any of them really wanted to. They’re beautiful pieces of work with outstanding embroidery on it, outstanding fabric on it.

“I didn’t get a glimpse of it up close until I actually made the trade. After I made the trade, I wasn’t planning on wearing it to the White House. I totally forgot we were even going to the White House.

“So it was one of those things like, ‘I should try this on to see if it fits.’ I tried it on after the game and thought, ‘Man, this fits great.’ And those were actually Mookie Betts’ pants, that’s why they were a little bit too short. My whole outfit was borrowed.”

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