White Sox right-handed reliever Joe Kelly landed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a with a Grade 2 strained left hamstring. Left-hander Tanner Banks was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take Kelly’s place in the bullpen.
Banks, who owns a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings covering 11 appearances, was optioned to Charlotte when lefty Aaron Bummer returned from the IL Sunday. Banks, 30, became a major leaguer for the first time when he made the Opening Day roster.
Kelly exited Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over the Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field after striking out Franchy Cordero and Trevor Story. After his final pitch, he winced and walked off thefield with assistant trainer Josh Fallin.
“Nobody said it would be easy,” manager Tony La Russa said after the game after the latest Sox injury. “We’ve gone through this before.”
Kelly, 32, signed to a two-year, $17 million contract as a free agent in March. HE was pitching in his seventh game after starting the season on the injured list with a right biceps nerve injury, an issue the Sox were aware of when he was signed.
He had allowed six runs over five innings with the Sox.
