Major League Baseball

Joe Kelly appears to be giving up No. 17 with Dodgers, opening jersey for Shohei Ohtani

Published Dec. 11, 2023 7:22 p.m. ET

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Reliever Joe Kelly appears to be switching uniform numbers after finalizing his $8 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, opening No. 17 for Shohei Ohtani.

Kelly was listed as No. 99 by the Dodgers on Monday, then No. 58 and then without a number. The team said 99 may have been a default setting and it will announce his number when it becomes official.

Los Angeles has a record $700 million, 10-year contract pending with Ohtani, the two-way star who wore No. 17 with the Los Angeles Angels.

Kelly wore 58 when he started his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. He was No. 56 with the Boston Red Sox from 2014-18 and No. 17 with the Dodgers from 2019-21 and again last season. He also was No. 17 with the Chicago White Sox in 2022 and '23.

Kelly's $9.5 million option was declined by the Dodgers last month, triggering a $1 million buyout.

A 35-year-old right-hander, Kelly was 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in 11 relief appearances after he was obtained from the White Sox along with Lance Lynn. Kelly went 2-5 with a 4.23 ERA overall in 42 games. Kelly had signed a $17 million, two-year contract with Chicago.

A 12-year big league veteran, Kelly is 53-57 with a 3.95 ERA in 81 starts and 369 relief appearances with St. Louis (2012-14), Boston (2014-18), the Dodgers (2019-21, '23) and the White Sox (2022-23).

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Joe Kelly

Major League Baseball

World Baseball Classic

Shohei Ohtani

Los Angeles Dodgers