Rays News: Sidearm reliever Kevin Kelly hits the IL, veteran Cole Sulser recalled

The Rays acquired the Virginia native in a trade with the Colorado Rockies after the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. Now, Kevin Kelly is hitting the shelf for the second time in his Rays tenure with a left gluteal strain. His first injury came in the middle of the 2023 season when he suffered a left ankle sprain. We're thankful that both of these IL stints are only 15 days long because the crafty right-hander is a much-needed part of the bullpen.

Kelly has been a model of consistency for the Rays ever since he arrived on the scene, but 2024 was certainly his most productive season. In 70 innings that year, the sidewinder produced a 2.67 ERA with 63 strikeouts. Those were fair punchout results for a hurler that is more known for getting ground ball outs due to the effects of his impressive slider.

The James Madison University product has also accrued a 5-2 record in both of his seasons in Tampa Bay, further displaying his efficiency in a Rays uniform. In only five innings of work this year, Kelly was off to a solid start. He had a 3.60 ERA, allowing only two earned runs on two hits.

Cole Sulser is recalled from Triple-A Durham to fill vacancy

Sulser is in his second stint as a member of the Rays. The 35-year old reliever started his major league career with Tampa Bay in 2019. However, he only tossed seven innings before being designated for assignment and eventually claimed by the rival Orioles.

Now, Sulser is looking to have a revival with the club that gave him his first shot in the bigs. In eight innings this spring, the California native recorded a 5.63 ERA with 11 strikeouts, but the Rays were most excited about how he finished.

In Sulser's last two starts of spring training, he tossed three innings, giving up only one run on three hits and striking out four opponents. Meanwhile, the veteran relief pitcher has maintained this success in the minor leagues so far, as he's yet to allow an earned run through 4.2 frames.

He'll be joining a respectable mix of hurlers that have unfortunately dropped off from an early season high recently, but are still second in the MLB with 1.94 walks per 9 innings.