Joe Kelly isn’t back yet. There’s no timetable for his return. He’s still on the Injured List. His shoulder is still inflamed.
…Or is it?
The possibility is beginning to dawn that Joe Kelly is serving a shadow suspension ordered by Rob Manfred and his orchestra of ghouls. After all, Manfred got to know the Astros well while they were pinning all the blame for the sign-stealing operation on Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora, and since both Manfred and the Astros are entirely-and-without-redemption evil, they probably hit it off. Maybe when Manfred offered them immunity, he also offered them immunity from having their feelings hurt, and now he’s dealing with the big scary fastball that made everyone laugh at them anew.
The question is, what threat has Manfred propped up against Kelly and/or the Dodgers to make them go along with his games?
That’s the question that needs answering before we can free Joe Kelly.
