Keone Kela, Relief Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Date of Birth: 4/16/1993
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
College: Everett Community College

Keone Kela, relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was first drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2011 but he didn't sign with them. A year later, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers. He pitched in the Rangers' minor league system from 2012 through 2014.

Kela had a full season with the Rangers in 2015, pitching in 68 games of relief with them. He finished the season with 7 wins and 5 losses, 68 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 2.39 ERA in 60.1 innings.

Kela spent time on the DL with elbow issues in 2016, limiting his playing time to 35 games. He finished the season with 5 wins and 1 loss, 45 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a 6.09 ERA in 34.0 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 1.2 innings in 1 game and he gave up no hits.

The Rangers traded Kela to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 3 wins and 4 losses, 24 saves, 66 strikeouts to 19 walks, and a 3.29 ERA in 38 games with the Rangers and 16 games with the Pirates.

Kela spent time on the DL in 2019 with right elbow inflammation. He finished the season with 2 wins and no losses, 1 save, 33 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings in 32 games.

Kela spent time on the IL in 2020. He pitched just 2.0 innings in 3 games.

Kela became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed with the San Diego Padres on February 18, 2021. He spent time on the IL in 2021 with right shoulder inflammation and right forearm strain. He finished the season with a 5.06 ERA in 10.2 innings in 12 games.

Kela became a free agent on November 5, 2021. He signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 16, 2022. He was released on August 31st, and later that day, he signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers.

Career pitching statistics for Kela through 2021 include:

• 243 games played
• 227.1 innings pitched
• 23-13 win-loss record
• 28 saves
• 279 strikeouts to 86 walks
• 3.33 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Keone Kela
ESPN - Keone Kela