The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have suspended right-hander Keone Kela for two games due to an unspecified violation of his contract.
Kela began serving the suspension Monday night when the Pirates opened a four-game home series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Manager Clint Hurdle was vague when asked about Kela prior to Monday’s game, saying the team was evaluating his status. Pittsburgh announced the suspension a short time later.
The Pirates activated Kela from the 60-day injured list before putting him on the suspended list. He last pitched for Pittsburgh on May 4 before going on the IL with shoulder discomfort.
Kela, 26, was 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 14 appearances prior to the injury. He had a 2.93 ERA in 16 games for Pittsburgh last season after being acquired from the Texas Rangers on July 31. Kela had 24 saves for the Rangers.
Overall, Kela is 20-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 210 career relief appearances since breaking in with Texas in 2015.
