The Rangers optioned Kelly to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
Texas thought enough of Kelly this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and add him to the 40-man roster, but the 24-year-old lefty still needs more developmental time in the minors. He covered 59.1 innings between Round Rock and Double-A Frisco in 2023 but saw the majority of his action with the latter affiliate, logging a 2.22 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 72:26 K:BB in 52.2 frames out of the bullpen.