Dodgers bolster pitching staff, trade for Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the top spot in the NL West Division standings, but the team’s starting pitching has been lackluster. 

So, the Dodgers front office bolstered the pitching staff ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

On Friday, the Dodgers brass pulled off a trade that should help ease some of the team’s pitching deficiencies, acquiring Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, the team announced.

The White Sox received outfielder Trayce Thompson, pitcher Nick Nastrini and reliever Jordan Leasure.

Lynn has been mostly underwhelming this season. The 36-year-old right-hander is 6-9 with a 6.18 ERA and leads the American League in earned runs (79) and home runs allowed (28). But he also has 139 strikeouts over 115 innings.

Last month, Lynn struck out 16 batters in a game against the Seattle Mariners, setting a major league mark for most strikeouts in a game by a pitcher with an ERA above 6.00.

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He was an MLB All-Star in 2021 and shortly after signed a $38 million, two-year contract extension that included a club option. He battled injuries last season and finished the year with an 8-7 record and a 3.99 ERA in 21 starts.

Lynn has previous stints with the Cardinals, Twins, Yankees and Rangers.

He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011, his debut season in the majors.

Kelly returns to Los Angeles for his second stint with the Dodgers. The hard-throwing right-handed reliever recently returned from the injured list for elbow inflammation.

Kelly pitched for the Dodgers from 2019-21, winning the World Series during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had a 3.59 ERA in 105⅓ innings during that span.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers acquired Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox three years after he departed Los Angeles for the East Coast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.