Joe Kelly is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he brings with him the same intensity and passion that endeared him to fans. Kelly is one of the most passionate players in the league, and his reactions are indicative of this. Take, for example, his at-bats against San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.

On one particular at-bat, Joe Kelly nearly hit Fernando Tatis Jr twice with a fastball that came dangerously close to the latter's face. Kelly, as usual, was undisturbed, while Tatis was visibly frustrated. Shortly after the near-HBP, the Dodgers starter finally froze the Padres star with a low fastball. Kelly then proceeded to call Tatis Jr some… not-so-nice names. (video via ClutchPoints)

Talk about a heated at-bat! Those high and inside fastballs are always a little scary to see. The second fastball in the clip luckily bounced off Tatis' bat instead of his body. It seemed that the Dodgers righty knew what he was doing with those fastballs, as he then proceeded to launch a 100-mph nuke down the middle for the out.

This isn't the first time that Kelly got heated at another hitter while donning the Dodgers' colors. Back in 2020, Joe Kelly had beef with Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa (then a member of the Astros). The reason for the pitcher's irate demeanor is clear: Kelly, like most of the MLB community, was mad at Houston for the sign-stealing scandal. Ironically, Tatis fits the same “archetype” as Correa and Bregman: a player that reportedly cheated to gain an advantage.

Does Kelly just hate cheaters that much? Either way, the Dodgers want the pitcher to perform like this at every at-bat he'll have. With the season nearly coming to a close, the need to finalize their rotation gets higher.