Reliever Kelly back with Dodgers on 1-year deal

The Dodgers and hard-throwing reliever Joe Kelly have agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract for the 2024 season, the club announced Monday.

Kelly, entering his 13th Major League season, is coming off an injury-plagued 2023 campaign that saw him hit the injured list three times. He endured a right groin strain in April, right elbow inflammation in July and right forearm inflammation in August.

Despite those struggles to stay on the field, the right-hander, who opened the season as a member of the White Sox, was one of several Deadline acquisitions made by the Dodgers, for whom he previously pitched from 2019-21. Having posted a 5.59 ERA in parts of two seasons as a member of the White Sox (4.97 in 31 appearances in 2023), Kelly returned to form in Los Angeles, giving up just two earned runs in 10 1/3 innings (1.74 ERA) and striking out 19 of the 40 batters he faced. The Dodgers elected not to pick up Kelly’s $9.5 million option for the 2024 season, but clearly they were still interested in his services.

Even considering his injury woes and a rocky White Sox tenure, Kelly, who will be 36 in June, remains one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball. In 2023, his four-seamer and sinker had a combined average velocity of 98.9 mph, which ranked in the 98th percentile among qualifying pitchers.

In 12 Major League seasons spent with the Cardinals, Red Sox, Dodgers and White Sox, Kelly has a career 3.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 807 innings pitched.