The Rays optioned Kelly to Triple-A Durham on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kelly had to be kept on the Rays' roster all of last season after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but the club is now able to send him to the minors now that they've retained his rights. The Rays typically have a constant churn among their relievers on the back end of the 40-man roster, and Kelly could be one of several hurlers who gets cycled between the big club and Durham in 2024.

Kelly (ankle) is on track to return when first eligible on Friday, MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kelly was shut down for a week after spraining his left ankle, but he threw a live batting practice session last Tuesday and another one Sunday with no issues. He'll rejoin the Rays this weekend and projects to be activated when rosters expand Friday.

Kelly recorded the final out of Friday's 3-2 win over the White Sox to record his first career save.

EDGE Analysis

Pete Fairbanks got the call in the ninth inning for the Rays as expected, but after hitting one batter and walking another with two outs, he exited the game complaining of numbness in his fingers, forcing Kelly to finish things out. Fairbanks has dealt with this issue before -- he has Raynaud's syndrome, which impacts blood flow to the extremities in colder temperatures -- but if he ends up missing additional time, Jason Adam seems more likely to handle the bulk of the closing duties for the Rays. Kelly hasn't pitched badly as a Rule 5 rookie however, posting a 4.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB through his first 15 big-league innings with two wins and a hold, plus Friday's save, in nine appearances.