Joe Kelly is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he’s brought some of his classic antics with him.
In just his second appearance since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a July 28 trade, Kelly found himself going viral once again. This time, it came after an epic eight-pitch at-bat against San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.
Kelly threw a few pitches up-and-in against a visibly annoyed Tatis Jr. before eventually recording the punch-out on a 100 MPH fastball. But that’s not what what viral — what Kelly did next is was caught everyone’s attention.
Joe Kelly after striking out Fernando Tatís Jr.:
F****** B****
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) August 5, 2023
You don’t need to be a professional lip reader to see what Kelly said to Tatis Jr.
Kelly, of course, is no stranger to controversy. He’s been suspended multiple times throughout his career for intentionally throwing at batters, including during the 2020 season when he threw at Houston Astros stars Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. He went on to taunt Correa with a now-infamous pouty face, leading to a bench-clearing standoff.
MLB subsequently hit Kelly with an eight-game ban.
Pouring a little salt in the wound, the Dodgers eventually reclaimed the lead against San Diego and closed out the night with a 10-5 victory. Kelly’s final line was 1.1 innings pitched, one hit, one walk, one strikeout and no earned runs. Tatis Jr. went 0-5 with the now-viral strikeout.
