Keone Kela shut down with elbow issue

The back end of the Texas Rangers bullpen has been one of the strengths of the team the past month, but one of its key members is out of action for at least the next few days, as Keone Kela has been shut down due to elbow soreness.  And MRI showed no structural damage, but the Rangers are wanting to be cautious with Kela, who has been one of their best relievers this year.

Apparently, neither Kela (who was not in Los Angeles yesterday) nor Ross Ohlendorf (who reported shoulder soreness) were available yesterday, which is why Luke Jackson ended up making his debut in a one run game.

We've talked before about Kela's workload -- he's 7th in the A.L. in appearances this year, despite having been sent down to AA for 10 days in order to give him a rest, and his 62 appearances between the majors and minors this year is already 18 more than he's made as a professional in a single season.

At 22 years old, Kela is very young to absorb the level of workload he's had this season, and its not all that surprising he would be dealing with some arm issues at this point.  Hopefully, he can bounce back strong after some rest, and help get the Rangers to the postseason.