Hanley Ramirez and Joe Kelly appear to have made up

By Drew SilvaFeb 24, 2015, 9:55 PM EST
29 Comments

Joe Kelly effectively knocked Hanley Ramirez out of the 2013 NLCS when the then-Cardinals-starter struck the then-Dodgers-shortstop in the rib cage with a 95 mph fastball in the top of the first inning of Game 1.

The two players are now teammates on the Boston Red Sox — Kelly via last year’s John Lackey trade and Hanley on a four-year, $88 million free agent contract signed this past November. So how did Ramirez get his revenge on Kelly when the two met at Red Sox camp this week in Fort Myers, Florida? A vicious headlock …

Kelly is projected to open the 2015 season as Boston’s fifth starter. Hanley will be in left field.

Michael Kopech has opted out of the 2020 season

Kopech has opted out
Getty Images
By Craig CalcaterraJul 10, 2020, 6:19 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Michael Kopech has opted out of the 2020 season. The White Sox starter informed the team of his decision today, and the team issued a press release to that affect a few minutes ago.

The statement from general manager Rick Hahn. said “we recognize that reaching this decision is incredibly difficult for any competitive athlete, and our organization is understanding and supportive. We will work with Michael to assure his development continues throughout 2020, and we look forward to welcoming him back into our clubhouse for the 2021 season.”

Kopech, 24, has only four big league starts under his belt, all coming in late August and early September of 2018, but after a strong spring training he was likely to make Chicago’s rotation at some point in the 2020 season after sitting out all of 2019 following Tommy John surgery. Kopech was among the players sent to Chicago from the Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade back in December 2016. Others involved in the deal included Yoán Moncada, Victor Diaz, and Luis Alexander Basabe.

Now, however, Kopech has opted out.