Trevor Bauer wasn’t allowed to wear custom cleats in support of Joe Kelly

Trevor Bauer’s Joe Kelly tribute was not allowed by MLB. 

Even though the actual incident is weeks in the past, the suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly for throwing at the Houston Astros is still one of the most frequently debated, hot-button topics in MLB today. Trevor Bauer is clearly on Kelly’s side, as he made special custom cleats made to protest Kelly’s harsh suspension. The cleats feature Kelly’s sarcastic pouting face on one side and “Free Joe Kelly” on the other.

Bauer was going to wear these cleats against the Kansas City Royals, but he opted against doing so after being told by the league he could either be removed from his start or disciplined after the fact.

Trevor Bauer is one of many who thinks Joe Kelly was treated unfairly

Kelly was originally suspended eight games for throwing behind Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and provoking an altercation. In a 60-game season, eight games equate to just under 22 games in a normal, 162-game season. While Kelly’s suspension was reduced to five games, that wasn’t enough for most MLB fans, as they still can’t believe that Kelly was suspended while no Astros players were suspended for stealing signs.

While Bauer’s Cincinnati Reds hit a bit of a rough patch, the Dodgers can take solace in the fact that they are at the top of the NL West at 18-7, while the Astros are struggling to keep pace with the Oakland Athletics in the AL West despite their high-priced stars.

As hilarious as this is and as justified as Bauer may be in his hatred for the Astros, it’s easy to see why MLB wanted to put the kibosh on this. Bauer might not get to show his cleats off, but he still wins Twitter for the evening thanks to his sterling fashion sense.