Kelley will be Nationals manager Dusty Baker's first option to close for now, with Koda Glover getting opportunities when Kelley is unavailable, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports. "[Dusty] just said, 'Moving forward, you're going to be the closer, but you still got to be honest with us about your arm and how you feel and we're still going to be cautious about your pitches,'" Kelley said Thursday. "'We're not going to just run you out there just because you're the closer.'"

EDGE Analysis

The veteran reliever picked up his second save of the season later Thursday night, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless ninth against the Braves to preserve a 3-2 win. It's important to note that Kelley has yet to pitch on back-to-back days this season as the Nats remain careful in how they use the oft-injured righty -- although Kelley himself said that usage pattern is just a coincidence -- so it's likely that Glover will get his chances when the club decides they don't want to push Kelley too hard.