Pirates closer Keone Kela returns to bullpen

Keone Kela had a bag of balls, a net to throw them into and plenty of free time while quarantined after a positive covid-19 test.

That wasn’t enough, though.

Passersby might have seen the Pittsburgh Pirates’ closer under the I-279 bridge on the North Side, throwing baseballs off the pillars.

“Trying to keep my arm going, agility work, game-like stuff as if the ball’s coming off the bat,” he said Wednesday after he was put on the Pirates’ active roster for the first time since the start of the season. “Trying to adapt and figure out a way to stay engaged.”

Kela said he also visited several parks, trying to stay in shape while practicing social distancing.

“Get after it every day with pushups, situps, sprints,” he said. ‘Try to go back to the basics to keep my body right. South Side, Turtle Creek, McKeesport. I’ve seen Pittsburgh during this quarantine.”

Now it’s time to get back to real work. He will be available starting Thursday when the Pirates open a four-game series with the Reds in Cincinnati.

Kela’s two years in Pittsburgh have been marked by suspensions, injury and even the coronavirus.

Yet his talent never has been questioned.

He has appeared in 48 games since the Pirates acquired him from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline in 2018. He has compiled a 2-1 record, 2.40 ERA and 1.000 WHIP, with 55 strikeouts in 45 innings.

He arrives at the right time, with relief pitchers Nick Burdi, Michael Feliz and Clay Holmes out for the season with arm injuries and Kyle Crick on the injured list. It gives manager Derek Shelton an experienced arm to call upon when the game is on the line.

“It lets guys go into regular roles as much as availability allows,” said Shelton, who has sent 21 pitchers — plus backup catcher John Ryan Murphy — to the mound through the first 16 games. “It gives us some stablization.”

“I don’t think I’ve lost much of the pep in my step,” Kela said. “Ball’s coming out hot. Curveball’s sharp. I don’t feel like the quarantine necessarily knocked me off my game.”

Upon arriving at his first spring training with the Pirates six months ago, Shelton named Kela his closer. He likely will step into that role over the final seven weeks of the season, but he said he won’t take the responsibility for granted.

He told Shelton and pitching coach Oscar Marin he will pitch in any role that helps the team.

“It’s one of the reasons I really appreciate the guy,” Shelton said. “He said, ‘Pitch me when you want to pitch me. If you need to get outs, get outs.’

“That speaks to the testament of everything he’s done in my conversations from the first time I talked to him this winter until now.”

Kela said he doesn’t want the closer designation by default.

“That’s a title that has to be earned year in and year out,” he said. “With the way we’ve been playing ball, I just want to get out there and secure the innings that are most important.

“If I have to face 3-4-5 (hitters) in the eighth inning because that’s the most pivotal inning, that’s what I’m here for.

“The ninth inning is coined for a closer to get a save, but at the end of day, when you get into those sixth innings, seventh innings, eighth innings, ninth innings, those are playoff innings and everyone has to be shutdown guy.

“I know I’m a high-leverage guy, and I expect to be put in those situations and I know the guys playing behind me and the guys in the dugout expect me to be able to handle my own in those situations.”

Kela, 27, said he is open to offering insight to younger players, but he added, “We don’t put years above anybody.”

“I don’t think that allocates any type of intelligence to make you more superior than the guy next to you. We all learn from each other. I’m still learning myself.

“This is a game of a lot of failure. So you have to go through the ups and downs to stay even keel to find success.”

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