BOSTON -- It was exactly what the Red Sox did not need.
With the starting rotation struggling to pitch deep into games and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez already on the disabled list because of a spring-training knee injury, Joe Kelly walked off the mound in the first inning Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Kelly was diagnosed with what the team termed a "right shoulder impingement." Additional details were not immediately available.
Kelly lacked his typical mid-90s velocity, with his fastball sitting mostly at 89-90 mph. He also exhibited little command, throwing only 10 of his 23 pitches for strikes and walked two of the first three batters.