The Boston Red Sox have designated right-handed reliever Zack Kelly for assignment, according to a report from MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that was later confirmed by additional sources.
The move removes the 31-year-old from the club’s 40-man roster as the offseason begins to take shape.
Kelly, a Roanoke, Virginia native, reached the majors the hard way.
Undrafted out of Newberry College, he signed with the Oakland Athletics as a free agent for a modest $500 bonus, only to be released the following year.
He latched on with the Los Angeles Angels organization, advanced as high as Double-A, and was released again during the 2020 shutdown after undergoing elbow surgery.
A minor-league deal with Boston in January 2021 gave him a fresh start. He climbed quickly through the Red Sox system and made his MLB debut on August 29, 2022, against the Minnesota Twins.
Over five seasons exclusively with Boston, Kelly appeared in 115 games, mostly in relief, and compiled an 8-8 record with a 4.04 ERA, 127 strikeouts, and a 1.31 WHIP across 131 1/3 innings.
His most productive year came in 2024, when he pitched in 49 games (including a few starts as an opener), posted a 6-3 mark and 3.97 ERA, and struck out 61 batters in 56 2/3 innings.
In 2026, he was limited to 17 appearances and 16 1/3 innings, finishing 0-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 14 strikeouts before the injury that ended his season.
That injury arrived in July. Initially described as right-elbow inflammation, follow-up imaging revealed a fracture. The Red Sox recalled him from Triple-A Worcester after the All-Star break solely to place him on the 60-day injured list.
As recently as mid-October, he was expected to resume throwing, but the recovery timeline left little room for the roster flexibility Boston will need heading into 2027.
Kelly is also out of minor-league options, meaning the club could no longer shuttle him between Worcester and the majors without exposing him to waivers.
Designating a player for assignment starts a seven-day clock during which the team can trade him, release him, or place him on waivers.
If he clears, Boston could attempt an outright assignment to the minors; given his service time and lack of options, he would have the right to refuse and become a free agent.
For a pitcher who has bounced between organizations and overcome multiple elbow setbacks, the designation marks another uncertain chapter.
Whether another club claims him or he lands elsewhere via free agency, Kelly’s track record as a durable middle-relief option who has survived the margins of the game suggests he will not be out of work for long.
