If Keone Kela has his way, he would pitch again this season.
He took a step towards doing that this week, throwing off a slope for the first time since being removed from a game on Aug. 21 with right forearm inflammation. Now the Pirates' medical team is seeing how his body responds before determining a course of action.
It's an encouraging sign towards a return, but there's an obvious roadblock that could prevent that: There just isn't a lot of season left.
The regular season ends Sept. 27, meaning there are only about two and a half weeks remaining. Any plan the Pirates set him on will surely include simulated innings or live batting practices. Considering the time between those rehab outings, Kela is battling the calendar.
"He wants to be out with his teammates, and we as an organization have to do what’s best for Keone, first and foremost, which we have done from Day One," director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said. "If that means that Keone’s going to pitch again this year, the little time we have, we’re going to try to honor that."
After all of the setbacks Kela has experience this year, it's easy to see why Keone is motivated to get back on the mound. He missed all of summer camp in July with COVID-19 and didn't make his season debut until Aug. 13. This season he has pitched just two innings over three appearances.
A free agent to be, this has already been a tough walk year for Kela. Proving that he is healthy could really help his value before hitting the market this winter.
More from Tomczyk:
• Mitch Keller (left oblique) threw three simulated innings at PNC Park before Wednesday's game. If this were a "normal situation," it probably would have been a rehab start for Keller rather than a simulated one.
Tomczyk said ideally a pitcher would get about three or five ups before returning, so "he’s checking off all the boxes, from a medical perspective."
"We’ll see how he comes out of the game, probably have him throw a side and then talk to Derek [Shelton] and Oscar [Marin] and Ben [Cherington], and Mitch obviously, to see what the next steps are," Tomczyk said.
The Pirates are still planning on him returning before the season is through.
• Jameson Taillon (recovering from Tommy John surgery) also threw a live batting practice Wednesday, totaling 25 pitches.
The Pirates will start to look to slowing him down soon so he can get a full offseason and be ready for spring training.
• Anthony Alford had surgery to repair a fractured olecranon in his right elbow Wednesday.
He is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
• Yacksel Rios (right shoulder inflammation) has experienced an unexpected setback and has stopped throwing.
• Michael Feliz (right forearm) is working with the Pirates' athletic performance team at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.
Clay Holmes (right forearm) is doing some advanced plyometric work in a facility they set up at his home.
Both are making "nice strides" in throwing.