Until the first inning of Tuesday’s game, Joe Kelly thought he could pitch through the uncomfortable feeling in his right shoulder. His notion was that it was typical soreness.
Because the right-hander doesn’t throw with full intensity during mid-week bullpen sessions or pregame warmups, Kelly wasn’t sure how his arm would feel when he finally let loose on the mound against the Rays. After facing only four batters, Kelly realized what he was feeling wasn’t normal and, after a long mound conference, he was removed from the game, an eventual 3-0 loss.
The question is whether the Red Sox coaching staff should’ve been informed by Kelly of his pregame uneasiness.