Rangers GM: 'I'd rather not get into' Keone Kela's demotion

Texas Rangers reliever Keone Kela was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock somewhat surprisingly on Friday, and general manager Jon Daniels is avoiding discussing it with the press.

"I'd rather not get into it specifically," Daniels told Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "People talk about whether we were lucky the past couple of years, but I believe a lot of that is the culture of the team, the camaraderie amongst the guys, the belief system in the clubhouse. Like in any family, there is an equilibrium and sometimes you have to take some steps to maintain that."

Kela, who will not make the Opening Day roster, will likely lose his roster spot to fellow right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc.

Kela made 35 appearances in 2016, pitching 34 innings. Compared to his breakout 2015 campaign, Kela struggled with a 6.09 ERA and 4.56 FIP. Given his peripheral numbers from last season and his performance this spring, however, Kela seemed poised to bounce back.

Over five innings of work this spring, Kela did not allow a single run and allowed just four baserunners.

While somewhat unexpected, Daniels also mentioned the reliever's demotion is "not a permanent thing."