Trevor Bauer will have to find another way to support Joe Kelly.
The fiery Reds pitcher planned to wear custom Nike cleats honoring the suspended Dodgers reliever on Wednesday, but Major League Baseball told him he’d be subject to discipline, according to 360aproko news.
Bauer was planning a giveaway with the cleats, which have “FREE JOE KELLY” on one shoe and a caricature of Kelly mocking the Houston Astros on the other. Entrants had to buy a Kelly-inspired shirt from Bauer’s website, with proceeds going to the Dodgers pitcher’s charity of choice.
MLB and the Players Association have collectively bargained rules surrounding game wear, including cleats.
Kelly was suspended eight games after MLB deemed he threw intentionally at Astros batters Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa, though the ban was later reduced to five games on appeal.
Bauer has been one of the most vocal among the chorus of major leaguers who were not satisfied with the punishments levied at the Astros following the revelation of their sign-stealing scandal.
“They are hypocrites, they are cheaters, they’ve stolen from a lot of other people and the game itself was completely unfair,” Bauer said of the Astros in February.
