As is the case for most teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been forced to deal with a number of injuries this spring, although most of them have been minor.
One of the more recent ones was to reliever Joe Kelly, who was scheduled to pitch in last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but was scratched due to a sore back.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed Kelly’s injury on Friday, saying that it was very minor and that he was scheduled to throw a bullpen session later that day.
Roberts also revealed that Kelly’s injury was an unusual one as he suffered it because he was standing too long while cooking Cajun food for his teammates, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
From the ever-expanding collection of strange ballplayer injuries: Joe Kelly hurt himself cooking. Kelly said he threw a Cajun fest for some of his teammates: chicken, red beans and rice, and crawfish. He said his back tightened up on him as he spent five hours minding the boiling crawfish.
While any injury is obviously not ideal during Spring Training, it is definitely positive news to see that Kelly’s was not serious and he should be back on the mound in a game within the next few days.
Kelly was the Dodgers’ biggest bullpen acquisition this past offseason, signing a three-year, $25 million contract with the team that also includes incentives and a team option for a fourth year.
With under three weeks until Opening Day, Kelly still has plenty of time to get enough game action to be ready for the start of the season. He is expected to be Kenley Jansen’s primary setup man, although that doesn’t necessarily mean he will toss the eighth inning as the plan is to use him in high-leverage situations regardless of what inning it is.
