The Texas Rangers have had quite a few problems with their bullpen this year. The loss of Keone Kela just further magnifies those issues.
With the season close to the halfway point, the Texas Rangers bullpen is in a state of disarray. Sam Dyson, who was named the closer to start the season, held the job for approximately a month. His struggles were bad enough where he was eventually designated for assignment, and ended up landing with the San Francisco Giants.
Matt Bush had his turn as the Rangers closer, and found some success early. Then, the ongoing issues so prevalent for Rangers closers began finding Bush. He began to struggle, allowing hits and blowing saves. The inevitable hook finally came yesterday, as the Rangers declared that they would use a closer by committee.
With three options to choose from in Keone Kela, Jose Leclerc, and Alex Claudio, chances were that the Rangers would find someone capable of pitching in the ninth and not be a complete disaster. Well, those plans did not even last a day before they needed to be scrapped. This time, it is due to injury, as Kela has been placed on the disabled list due to soreness in his pitching shoulder.
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At this point, the Rangers bullpen is beginning to border on becoming a trainwreck akin to Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe. This move to place Kela on the disabled list also explains why the animated remains of Jason Grilli were hauled to Arlington, with the hopes that he still has something left.
In all seriousness, Kela is a major loss for the Rangers. Although he began the year in the minors due to disciplinary measures, he was arguably their best reliever this season. In his 30 games, he posted a 2.64 ERA and a 0.880 WHiP, striking out 42 batters with just 13 walks in 30.2 innings. Those numbers show a marked improvement over his disastrous 2016 campaign.
At this point, the extent of Kela’s injury is unknown. However, if he is out for any length of time, the Rangers already mediocre bullpen will become worse. As they desperately attempt to remain in the Wild Card hunt, losing Kela could be the proverbial final nail in the coffin.
The Texas Rangers bullpen was already in total disarray. Now that Keone Kela is on the disabled list, those issues have just gotten worse.