Report: Red Sox May Take Joe Kelly Out Of Starting Rotation
BOSTON (CBS) -- To say the Red Sox did not get what they had hoped for out of Joe Kelly when they acquired him last summer would be a gross understatement. And as a result, he may not be a member of the starting rotation for very long.
According to CSNNE's Sean McAdam, the Red Sox may remove Kelly from the starting rotation soon.
Kelly allowed seven runs, all earned, over just 1.2 innings on Monday, bringing his ERA to 6.24 on the season. Last year, in 10 starts with Boston, he posted a 4.11 ERA. And overall, his 5.06 ERA with Boston is significantly higher than his 3.25 ERA with St. Louis.
Kelly had seemingly turned a corner, having made two straight solid starts in which he went a combined 13.1 innings while allowing three total runs, striking out nine and walking four. But on Monday in Minnesota, he was touched for seven runs on eight hits and one walk, and he failed to make it out of the second inning.
The Red Sox "are at least contemplating" bringing up Eduardo Rodriguez, McAdam said on CSNNE, "and it would seem that at maximum, Kelly will get one more [start] to get things straightened out. And if he doesn't, they could start utilizing him and his power stuff in shorter spurts, maybe in the back end of the bullpen."
"He's clearly on thin ice," McAdam added.
Rodriguez is 4-3 with a 2.98 ERA this season for Triple-A Pawtucket. He has struck out 44 batters and walked just seven.
