Joe Kelly’s suspension for his actions against the Houston Astros last month has been reduced.
MLB announced Wednesday that Kelly’s suspension has been reduced from eight games to five for throwing at Astros hitters and taunting Carlos Correa during a July 28 game.
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly, who was suspended for eight games for throwing at Houston Astros batters, had his ban reduced to five games on appeal, sources tell me and @kileymcd.
First with the successful appeal was @Jared_Carrabis.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 12, 2020
Kelly’s initial eight-game suspension represented nearly a fifth of the shortened schedule, and was criticized as unnecessarily harsh by some within the game. At the time, the league justified it by noting that Kelly was a repeat offender and also provoked a bench-clearing incident that violated social distancing protocols.
Kelly is currently on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. He will not begin serving his suspension until he is activated by the Dodgers.
