Washington Nationals: Shawn Kelley a fascinating conundrum

Washington Nationals reliever Shawn Kelley dominated in 2016, but struggled mightily in 2017. Can he rebound in 2018? What should the Nats do if he can’t?

Led by Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler, the Washington Nationals‘ bullpen is uncharacteristically strong entering 2018. While the bullpen is undoubtedly a strength, there are a few question marks.

The most fascinating question mark in the ‘pen is Shawn Kelley. The right-hander dominated in his first season with the Nats, pitching to a 2.64 ERA in 67 games. He pitched so well that he was named the interim closer before the Nats pried Mark Melancon away from Pittsburgh.

Kelley had established himself as an invaluable reliever in the back-end of the bullpen, and quickly became one of Dusty Baker‘s favorites.

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Then, everything Kelley had worked for appeared to be in jeopardy. After allowing a triple to Justin Turner in game five of the 2016 NLDS, Kelley lost all feeling in his right arm. Having already undergone two Tommy John surgeries, this was just about the worst news possible.

Thankfully, it did not appear to be an issue. His nerves were shot from the two surgeries, which caused him to temporarily lose feeling. Everything would be okay.

At least that’s what everyone thought.

When 2017 came around, Kelley was no longer the dominant reliever from a year before. Now, he was essentially a batting practice pitcher. He ended up pitching to a 7.27 ERA in just 33 games. Something clearly was not right.

Kelley made three trips to the disabled list throughout 2017, but his final DL stint was the most revealing. He was forced to exit his final appearance early, when he lost feeling in his arm once again. Everyone immediately knew it was bad, and Kelley appeared to take an exceptionally long look around Citi Field while leaving, as if it would be his final major league appearance.

About a week later, Kelley announced that he had been pitching with bone chips in his elbow for much of the season. His nightmare season was still frustrating, but it was understandable.

Now, Kelley will look to rebound in 2018. If he is able to return to his 2016 form, he can be a dominant setup man. However, if he pitches like he did in 2017, he is a liability.

Hopefully, Kelley is healthy. If he is not, he is likely to have another nightmare season. Everyone knows this, including Kelley himself, so don’t be surprised to see him retire if he struggles again in Spring Training.

He could be healthy now and dominate again, but if he struggles in Spring Training and believes his arm is shot, retiring is a definite possibility. It is unfortunate, but undergoing two Tommy John surgeries is very difficult. It’s amazing that Kelley has pitched as long as he has.

Next: Jayson Werth still available

The Nats’ bullpen is already strong, but could become even stronger with a rejuvenated Kelley. Will he be able to deliver? We’ll have our answer shortly.