Red Sox Lose 31-Year-Old Depth Hurler to Elbow Injury

The injury bug has bitten the Boston Red Sox left and right all season to this point and it did so once again on Wednesday, but this time at the minor league level.

Right-handed reliever Zack Kelly was placed on the Injured List with an elbow injury, per MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

"In Worcester, Zack Kelly has an elbow injury and has been placed on the IL," Cotillo wrote.

Despite not being on the big league roster, this hurts the Red Sox in multiple ways. First and foremost, he's a veteran depth option who arguably should've been in the majors anyway. He has pitched in 17 games with the Red Sox in the big leagues this season and has a 3.31 ERA. Last season, he pitched in 28 games and had a 4.58 ERA. In 2024, he pitched in 49 games for Boston and had a 3.97 ERA. Overall, he has pitched in 115 games for the Red Sox since 2022 and has a 4.04 career ERA in 131 1/3 innings of work.

The Red Sox Got Some Tough News

May 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Zack Kelly (76) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arguably, there's no reason why he should've been in Triple-A with Ryan Watson on the big league roster. Watson has a 4.62 ERA in 30 appearances so far this season. While it's true that Kelly should've been in the majors, now there's nothing the Red Sox can do about that, for now. They have to wait and see how his elbow holds up and recovers. At this moment, it hasn't been shared exactly what the injury is.

On the other front, it's tough to lose Kelly to the Injured List right now because he could've been an intriguing trade candidate this summer if the Red Sox didn't want to promote him to the big league roster. Again, he has plenty of major league experience over the last five seasons and has had success this season. His 3.31 ERA would be a new career best if the season ended today.

Back in May, reports surfaced indicating that clubs around the league were "monitoring" Kelly just in case the Red Sox made him available for a trade. Kelly recently opened up in an interview with Cotillo and noted that he "wouldn’t necessarily be opposed" to a move if it got him up to the big leagues.

But the trade deadline is 26 days away. Again, it hasn't been announced exactly what Kelly's injury is, but any time you hear about an elbow injury, it's nerve-wracking. Will anyone pay up for a hurler with injury concerns ahead of the trade deadline? Maybe, but also maybe not.

It's certainly not the type of update the Red Sox want to see. The Red Sox's depth took a hit and their potential trade chest as well.

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