The Cubs are adding left-hander Antoine Kelly to the roster for a weekend series against the Yankees, the team announced. He’ll take the spot of Gavin Hollowell, who heads to the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Kelly will be making his big-league debut when he appears in a game.
Chicago picked up Kelly in a cash deal with the Dodgers in early June. The 26-year-old has a strong 2.79 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout rate in 13 appearances at Triple-A Iowa. Perhaps most importantly, Kelly has an 8.4% walk rate since joining the organization, one of the better marks of his career.
It’s been a winding journey to the big leagues for Kelly. The Brewers took him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He was shipped to Texas for righty Matt Bush a few years later. Kelly was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster but never made the majors. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockies in 2024. After a season and a half at Triple-A with Colorado, he chose to sign with the Dodgers in free agency over the winter. Kelly had 19 walks in 21 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Kelly has leaned heavily on his slider in the minors this season. He’s thrown the pitch 39% of the time. The lefty has a four-seamer in the upper 90s and a sinker that also sits above 95 mph. Kelly throws an occasional changeup. He’s routinely posted strong strikeout numbers in the minors, but it’s typically come with untenable walk rates.
Chicago has been crushed by injuries in the rotation and the bullpen. Hollowell is the latest arm to go down. He’ll join a list of injured relievers that includes Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Riley Martin, and Ethan Roberts. Hollowell had done a solid job in his time with the Cubs, posting a 2.51 ERA across 14 outings. He picked up his second career big-league save last week.
