Other than Craig Kimbrel, who’s really in a league of his own, Joe Kelly has been the best reliever in the Red Sox bullpen this season. When he landed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain last Saturday, many believed that the Red Sox bullpen would crumble without their eighth inning man. Things haven’t been that dire, but the weaknesses of their earlier arms have been exposed.
Add in the exhaustion of pitching 30.1 innings over the club’s seven days since the All-Star break, and the importance of Kelly’s return becomes much greater.