Kela, Chirinos likely on postseason roster

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have not set their postseason roster, but general manager Jon Daniels said he expects both catcher Robinson Chirinos and reliever Keone Kela to be included.

Kela has been dealing with a tender right elbow and the Rangers have been monitoring his usage. But he was available on Sunday and will have four days of rest before the American League Division Series opens on Thursday afternoon against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

"Barring anything unexpected, he'll be there," Daniels said Monday.

Despite his elbow, Kela finished the season strong. He didn't allow a run in his final 16 2/3 innings over 19 appearances, allowing eight hits, four walks and 21 strikeouts. His 68 appearances were tied for the fourth most by a rookie reliever this year and he finished 7-5 with a 2.39 ERA.

"The biggest thing is we talked about uncharted territory for a guy and my hat's off to how he handled it," Daniels said. "He has made a big jump and handled it well. I'm proud of him."

Kela has had two MRI exams in the past six weeks and both times the elbow showed no structural damage.

Chirinos missed most of the final two months with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. But he made four starts in the final week without any issues and the Rangers likely expect him and Chris Gimenez to share catching duties going into postseason.