Zack Kelly reaches career milestone

Photo credit: WooSox reliever Zack Kelly delivers a pitch during a game on September 24, 2021 at Polar Park. (Katie Morrison / MassLive)

With Opening day just around the corner, the Red Sox roster still has a few question marks. The rotation is set, but a few roles are still up for grabs in the bullpen. On Sunday morning, one role was filled as Zack Kelly was rewarded for his impressive spring and made the Red Sox Opening Day roster.

In his first two outings of spring training, the 28-year-old allowed three earned runs in two innings of work. While Kelly was getting hit around, he was struggling to miss bats. However, since March sixth, he has been one of the Red Sox’s best relievers and has shown encouraging signs.

Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 @Sports_24x7_

Zack Kelly in the game, Randy Arozarena groundout moves Margot to 3rd #RedSox 3 #Rays 3 🔻7th

Over his last six outings, Kelly has not allowed an earned run and struck out seven batters. In that span, he has allowed seven hits, but when opponents have reached, the Newberry College product has been able to work out of trouble. In his first two outings of the spring, Kelly was unable to do that. For the Red Sox, that is an encouraging sign after what he showed in the majors last year.

In his first stint with the Red Sox, Kelly posted a 3.95 ERA in 13 appearances. Opponents only hit .259 against him, and the Roanoke native was able to strike out 11 batters. While his sample size was small, Kelly excelled regardless of the situation. That put him in a different position than ever before this spring while he has been battling for a roster spot.

Jamie Gatlin @JamieGatlin17

In his major league debut last night Zack Kelly struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. Not a bad start. #RedSox | #DirtyWater

Although the talented righthander has proven to be a reliable reliever, he still has to work on his control. So far this spring, Kelly has allowed 16 batters to reach base. He will likely serve as a multi-inning arm and could see some work in the seventh inning during the regular season. Limiting base runners will be critical, but his control should improve with more experience.

With a few roster decisions on the horizon, the Red Sox roster will change in the coming days. With his recent performance, Kelly has started to set himself apart, and on Sunday, he was rewarded for his efforts. If he can build on his success from 2022, Kelly will be a valuable piece for the Red Sox this season and beyond.

Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamieGatlin17

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