Throughout the offseason, most of the attention surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers has been on Japanese free agent starting pitcher Roki Sasaki and the team’s efforts to bolster their bullpen.
However, one reliever is determined to remain in Los Angeles for the 2025 season — fan favorite Joe Kelly.
Kelly recently attended an autograph signing in Southern California, where he sat down for an interview with Alysha Del Valle of the Bleed Los Podcast. During the conversation, Kelly made it clear where he stands regarding his future with the Dodgers.
“There is only one spot we will come back to”#Dodgers free agent Joe Kelly tells @alyshadelvalle on the @BleedLosPodcast his intentions to play in LA in 2025@BBisntBoring @bradfo @SnavelyCody6
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW:https://t.co/T53af5NRw0 pic.twitter.com/5KY2jAxXGH
— DodgersBeat (@DodgersBeat) January 8, 2025
“Oh yeah, of course,” Kelly replied when asked if he wanted to stay in L.A. “I would blame it on my shoulder if I had to play anywhere else so I wouldn’t play.”
He added, “I am content all around. We have a good relationship. Like I said, once I am healthy, it’s kinda like Clayton’s deal, there is only one spot we will come back to. It’s either that or, you know, if my body doesn’t heal as well as it wants to, then you never know. So we’ll see.”
Kelly, who battled recurring shoulder issues throughout the 2024 season, appeared in just 35 games and pitched 32 innings. The most significant setback came from a right posterior strain that kept him out for roughly two and a half months.
Later in the season, Kelly spent nearly three weeks on the injured list due to shoulder soreness and was ultimately unavailable for the Dodgers’ playoff push after tweaking his shoulder during a simulated game in early October, as reported by manager Dave Roberts.
Over the last five seasons, Kelly has spent time on the injured list ten times, dealing with a variety of injuries, including shoulder, elbow, and bicep issues, along with groin and hamstring strains. This season’s 60-day IL stint for a shoulder strain was his longest, and the number of injuries has raised concerns about his durability as he approaches his age-37 season.
Kelly joined the Dodgers in 2019 and posted a 4.56 ERA in 55 appearances, but he struggled in the postseason, finishing with a 23.14 ERA.
He redeemed himself in 2020, recording a 2.45 ERA in five playoff appearances and helping the Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988. After signing with the White Sox in 2022 and posting a 6.08 ERA, Kelly returned to the Dodgers in 2023, excelling with a 1.74 ERA in 11 appearances.
