![\"Dodgers](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/card_img\/1877791499460464640\/CVLZQ85b?format=jpg&name=medium\")
<\/p>\nThroughout the offseason, most of the attention surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers has been on Japanese free agent starting pitcher Roki Sasaki and the team\u2019s efforts to bolster their bullpen.<\/p>\n
However, one reliever is determined to remain in Los Angeles for the 2025 season \u2014 fan favorite Joe Kelly.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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<\/p>\n
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW:https:\/\/t.co\/T53af5NRw0 pic.twitter.com\/5KY2jAxXGH<\/p>\n
\u2014 DodgersBeat (@DodgersBeat) January 8, 2025 He added, \u201cI am content all around. We have a good relationship. Like I said, once I am healthy, it\u2019s kinda like Clayton\u2019s deal, there is only one spot we will come back to. It\u2019s either that or, you know, if my body doesn\u2019t heal as well as it wants to, then you never know. So we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Later in the season, Kelly spent nearly three weeks on the injured list due to shoulder soreness and was ultimately unavailable for the Dodgers\u2019 playoff push after tweaking his shoulder during a simulated game in early October, as reported by manager Dave Roberts.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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\u2019s efforts to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u201cOh yeah, of course,\u201d Kelly replied when asked if he wanted to stay in L.A. \u201cI would blame it on my shoulder if I had to play anywhere else so I wouldn\u2019t play.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n