Ex-Red Sox Pitching Prospect Makes Rare MLB Appearance

Long before Major League Baseball fans had any idea who two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was, the Boston Red Sox selected pitcher/infielder Casey Kelly out of high school in the first round of the 2008 draft. The biggest question among talent evaluators at the time was whether he would become a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher for the Red Sox, or the team’s shortstop of the future.

The Red Sox opted to end the two-way experiment following his first professional season, and Kelly’s full-time focus shifted to the mound. Rising quickly through the Red Sox farm system, Kelly was pitching in Double-A Portland by 2010. But Kelly’s time in the Red Sox organization would be short-lived, as he was one of four players dealt to the San Diego Padres for first baseman Adrián González during the offseason.

Kelly made his MLB debut in 2012, but would deal with injuries and poor performance in nine games with the Padres and soon found himself bouncing between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. He eventually continued his career overseas in Korea from 2019 through 2023.

Last week, the now 35-year-old former top pitching prospect was recalled by the Arizona Diamondbacks and made his 2025 season debut with the club last Wednesday. Kelly made two appearances out of Arizona’s bullpen and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings before being sent back to Triple-A on Saturday.

Kelly made two MLB appearances, his first stateside since 2018, last season as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed three earned runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched. For his career, Kelly has a record of 2-11 with a 5.34 ERA in 30 games between the Padres, Braves, Reds and Diamondbacks.