Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly hit the 60-day IL with what was initially described as right elbow inflammation in July. Follow-up testing revealed an elbow fracture, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Kelly is set to resume throwing in a few weeks.

The 31-year-old Kelly has been a part of Boston’s bullpen in each of the past five seasons. He’s contributed decent results, pitching to a 4.04 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning across 115 big-league appearances. The righty was up and down multiple times with the Red Sox this year. After a shaky start to the season, he was scored upon just twice in his final 12 outings before being optioned in May.

Kelly was at Triple-A Worcester when he went down with the elbow injury. He was recalled to the big-league roster and shifted to the 60-day IL just after the All-Star Break. It’s unclear how soon he’ll be able to return to the majors. Kelly is now out of minor league options, so the Red Sox won’t have the same flexibility with him in 2027.

Cotillo also reported a couple of changes on the coaching side. Third base coach Chad Epperson is taking over as manager of the WooSox. He was promoted to the big-league staff from the minor league ranks after the club made a big coaching shakeup in April. Manager Alex Cora was fired, along with five other coaches. One of the departures was third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson. Epperson replaced Hudson as the third base coach for the remainder of the season.

Epperson has been in the organization for more than two decades. He has 10 years of experience as a minor league manager at the Single-A and Double-A levels. Chad Tracy opened the 2026 season as Worcester’s skipper. He was elevated to the big-league gig in place of Cora. Boston installed Tracy as the full-time manager shortly before the end of the regular season. Epperson will replace Iggy Suarez, who finished the year as the interim manager of the WooSox.

Boston also shifted first base coach Pablo Cabrera back to the minors. He took over at first base after the April firings. José David Flores, who opened the season in the role, was moved to bench coach after Ramón Vázquez was let go. Cabrera will slide back to his gig as minor league defensive coordinator.

Cabrera has been in the organization since 2023. He held multiple positions in the minors before being promoted to interim first base coach. Cabrera was elevated to defensive coordinator heading into the 2026 campaign.

Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images