Nestled in the foreground of the San Gabriel Mountains’ inviting gaze, historic LoanMart Field is, true to its nickname, often The Epicenter of the baseball world. Home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, LoanMart Field has seen most of baseball’s future run its hallowed baselines. But even the Tommy Lasorda Clubhouse, if had eyes, would have widened those eyes at what came before it last night: Joe Kelly. The Joe Kelly. Pitching against the Visalia Rawhide in his first rehab appearance since going down with the most infamous posterior strain the baseball world has ever seen.
Joe Kelly only needed five pitches to do away with the top of the Visalia Rawhide lineup. That’s how it goes when the greatest pitcher of all time meets a collection of minor league bats. We learned a lot from those five pitches:
- While he’ll still make two or three more rehab appearances, Joe Kelly is clearly MLB-ready right now. It’s not a matter of Joe Kelly’s health at this point. It’s about giving Dodgers prospects a chance to work with an historically successful teammate. Companies spend millions to get Michael Jordan to come talk to their employees for an hour. The Dodgers have an opportunity here for an athlete of even greater stature to work with their up-and-comers for free.
- The man remains quick off the mound. Against the leadoff hitter, he covered first like a champ. And everyone knows Low-A leadoff hitters hustle.
- The mustache is coming back nicely, but it’s probably a day or two away from being out in full force.
- Joe Kelly and Tremor remain pals.
- The guy had time for the fans.
- Joe Kelly’s still got his wild side. Threw one to the backstop by way of the ground next to home plate. Thank goodness the team is called the Quakes, so the fans didn’t have to be too surprised by the earth rattling beneath them.
- Though Joe Kelly might not currently be present with the Major League team, his Dodger teammates are already drawing inspiration from his efforts. Rumor has it that at multiple points during their dramatic, back-and-forth victory over the Diamondbacks last night, Los Angeles players said to one another, “He’s coming back. We can do this.” The rest, as they say at LoanMart Field, is history.
As I said, that’s a lot. Here’s what we still don’t know:
- Where will Joe Kelly next rehab appear? The Quakes go to Visalia this weekend and then to Stockton next week. All other Dodger affiliates are out of the state of California over that timeframe. Do the Dodgers send him to Arizona to start against some Rookie ballers? Does Joe Kelly make a California League road trip?
- What if Joe Kelly comes back as a starter? Always a chance. Maybe he has a perfect game going and they let him complete it, and then he never allows another baserunner again?
So much more to come. A whole half-season lies ahead.
