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Joe Kelly pouty face mural painted near Dodger Stadium just in time for Astros series

Ana and Brian Garcia take a selfie in front of a mural of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly making a pouty face
Ana and Brian Garcia take a selfie in front of a mural of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly making a pouty face, painted on the side of the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Silver Lake, on Sept. 9.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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Joe Kelly won’t be on the mound this weekend to torment Carlos Correa and the rest of the Houston Astros.

The Dodgers relief pitcher is on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation. And even if he unexpectedly is activated between now and Saturday, Kelly has to serve his five-game suspension for his actions the last time the teams faced each other.

But Kelly still might be able to get under the Astros’ skin, depending on where they stay and what route they take to Dodger Stadium.

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Local mural artist Jonas Never has immortalized the now-legendary pouty face Kelly used to mock Correa in a mural on the side of the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Silver Lake, less than two miles from the ballpark.

“Wanted to make sure I got this one done before the Astros come to town,” Never wrote on social media.

When the teams played in Houston on July 28, it was their first meeting since the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal from 2017 — the year the Dodgers lost to Houston in a seven-game World Series — had been revealed. Kelly, who was not a member of the Dodgers in 2017, pitched during the eighth inning.

Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly took another step toward a return when he threw 20 to 25 pitches in a bullpen session Monday.

Sept. 9, 2020

He threw a 96-mph fastball behind Alex Bregman’s head. He tossed an 87-mph curveball that narrowly missed Correa’s head. He made faces and used curse words. Eventually the benches cleared.

Major League Baseball wasn’t amused. The league issued Kelly a suspension that was initially eight games before he appealed and got it reduced.

But to local fans who feel the Dodgers were robbed of a World Series title in 2017, Kelly became a hero that night.

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Marco Torres and Cinthya Ferrel of Los Angeles admire a photo in front of a mural of Joe Kelly making a pouty face
Marco Torres and Cinthya Ferrel of Los Angeles admire a photo in front of a mural of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly making a pouty face, painted on the side of the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Silver Lake.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Gonzalez and Ortega families take photos of the Joe Kelly mural at the Floyd's 99 Barbershop in Silver Lake
Members of the Gonzalez and Ortega families take photos of the Joe Kelly mural at the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Silver Lake on Sept. 9.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

“This man definitely deserved a wall...,” Never wrote on Instagram, “so now there’s a 16’ tall Joe Kelly on the @floyds99barbershop in Silver Lake.”

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