Dodgers were already warned about Joe Kelly landing on injured list

Prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring Joe Kelly, there was reported interest from them in the right-hander when he was on the injured list with the Chicago White Sox. Kelly was out from July 5 - July 22 with elbow inflammation.

On Sunday, the Dodgers announced Kelly would be placed on the 15-day IL with forearm inflammation, which fans can infer is related to his previous elbow issue.

Kelly also dealt with injuries in 2022 (hamstring and biceps) and 2021 (biceps and shoulder), so the history has been there dating back to his days with ... the Dodgers from 2019-2021.

But the Dodgers took the risk, as they do far too often with injured relievers, once again. Think back to ... just about everyone in recent years, from Blake Treinen to Jimmy Nelson to Alex Reyes to Tommy Kahnle to Danny Duffy to Daniel Hudson to Brusdar Graterol.

Kelly's undoubtedly been an inimitable injection of energy since coming over from the White Sox, but he made only four appearances before hitting the shelf for the second time this season.

Dodgers were already warned about Joe Kelly landing on injured list

Though the trade has already paid off incredibly with how Lance Lynn has performed in the starting rotation, the Dodgers can't afford anymore bullpen losses/setbacks especially heading into the stretch/postseason.

The offense has done a tremendous job keeping the team afloat, but the pitching staff will need to neutralize some of the best offenses in the playoffs if they have to run through the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and/or Cincinnati Reds. The 'pen is littered with injuries, regression and unreliable arms. Kelly was supposed to be a stabilizer to mask some of that.

The Dodgers expect Kelly back when the 15-day stint is up, but it's unclear how they can be so sure of that with how sensitive forearm/elbow injuries tend to be. The unpredictability rarely has teams projecting returns and instead has them treading lightly to ensure a full recovery and absence of a recurring flare up.

By and large, the Dodgers were given slim pickings at the trade deadline, but fans are hoping they're not about to get burned by yet another well-documented injury concern that was right in front of their face for weeks.