Kela returns, but Bush gets first shot at closing with Dyson on DL

Keone Kela has been recalled from Triple A Round Rock and closer Sam Dyson was placed on the 10-day disabled list as the Texas Rangers try to get a handle on their bullpen issues early in the season.

Dyson was placed on the DL with a contusion on his right hand after trying to stop a hard chopper in the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss in Seattle.

Kela was sent to Round Rock before the season opener after an incident on the last day of spring camp during a back-field B game. Sources said Kela was acting unprofessionally during the game. Veteran teammates confronted him about his actions and Kela’s response was dismissive.

Manager Jeff Banister said Matt Bush would get the first crack at closing games while Dyson is on the DL but didn’t call Bush his closer.

“We’ll give Matt an opportunity early to get, if need to be, the 27th out,” Banister said. “However, we’re in a situation where I don’t want to run anybody out there three days in a row this early [in the season] ... I’m sure there will be a number of guys who will get an opportunity to close games out.”

Kela received hugs and high-fives from teammates in the Oakland Coliseum clubhouse after rejoining the club before Monday’s game. Banister said the past issues won’t be a problem going forward.

“I’m sure we’ll continue to go forward and understand that there are things that happen that we move on from,” he said. “I think those things have a way of working themselves out.”

General manager Jon Daniels agreed. “I don’t see this as something lingering past today,” Daniels said.

The club considered calling up Kela before the weekend series with the Mariners, Daniels said. Kela allowed five hits and walked one with eight strikeouts in four appearances for Round Rock.

“He went down and was very professional about everything and we feel like it’s the appropriate time to bring him back,” Daniels said. “I think Keone’s talent is what it has always been. I certainly feel like he has the ability to help us.”

Dyson dismissed the notion that he’s been plagued by some bad luck early in the season. He has been hit hard at times, of course, including two home runs, but even when his sinker is working things have fallen apart around him. Sunday, for example, he forced three ground balls, including a bunt, that didn’t leave the infield.

“Whether you have your best stuff, whether you’re executing, whether there is odd stuff that goes on you still have to do your job,” Dyson said. “It always falls on somebody and that somebody is me because I’m sitting out there trying to close out a ballgame and I’m not doing it.”

Dyson said he didn’t need a DL stint to regroup.

“I don’t need to decompress,” he said. “It’s the same plan of attack, same approach.”

The Rangers are hoping that Dyson’s luck will change and he’ll return to being the closer he was a year ago when he saved 38 games with a 2.43 ERA.

“You watch the tape, watch his stuff, I don’t think it’s dramatically different,” Daniels said of Dyson. “Four weeks ago this guy was mowing through big league All-Stars every night in the WBC. (Sunday) was a snowball kind of day where it’s Murphy’s Law, if something could go wrong, it did. I think that’s just the way things go sometimes.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 7:21 PM with the headline "Kela returns, but Bush gets first shot at closing with Dyson on DL."