Carson Kelly was not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, with Moises Ballesteros taking the catching assignment and Pedro Ramirez listed as Chicago's designated hitter.
Thursday's omission was notable: it marked the fourth time in seven games that Kelly had been kept on the sidelines. The gap in playing time follows a brief stretch of poor offense — Kelly went 0-for-11 across his last three contests — and the club turned to Ballesteros and Ramirez to handle the roles Kelly would otherwise occupy.
Ballesteros handled catching duties for the game, a straight substitution for the spot Kelly normally occupies behind the plate, while Ramirez filled the designated hitter slot in the lineup. Those two assignments were the specific, immediate adjustments the team made for Thursday's matchup.
The timing matters for the day’s roster construction: with Kelly absent, Chicago's options at catcher and as a left-handed bat in the DH spot came down to Ballesteros and Ramirez on the same day. That combination defined the club's handling of two positions Kelly can cover and left the manager's choices visible to fans and opponents before the first pitch.
Kelly’s recent string of benches has a friction to it. He has sat four times in seven games despite the team needing both a catcher and a designated hitter for Thursday, creating a repeated absence that is hard to square with a simple one-day rest. The club provided no explanation at the time of the lineup announcement, leaving unclear whether the decision was driven by health, matchups, routine rest or performance concerns.
The omission also sharpens an immediate question for the club’s short-term planning: when, if at all, Kelly returns to the regular lineup. The team did not attach a timeline to Thursday’s move, and there is no public indication from the club about a return date or whether this pattern of sitting will continue in the next series.
For now, the practical effect is straightforward: Ballesteros handled the catching workload for the game and Ramirez occupied the DH slot. Fans looking for a return of Kelly to the lineup will have to wait for the club to announce either a reinstatement or a clearer explanation; until that happens, Kelly’s status remains unresolved and his playing time pattern — four benches in seven games and an 0-for-11 skid over three contests — is the clearest public record of the club’s recent choices.
