Washington Nationals’ Shawn Kelley dealing with irritated ulnar nerve in right elbow...

Davey Martinez knew something was wrong from the first pitch Shawn Kelley threw on Monday night in AT&T Park. It wasn’t just the fact that Mac Williamson hit it out to deep center field, for a two-run home run that put the San Francisco Giants up, 4-1, Martinez explained after what ended up a 4-2 loss.

“He went in and the first pitch was 86,” Martinez said, “and I thought, we couldn’t figure out what it was. Did he throw a slider? Or bad slider, or what? And then the next pitch was just as bad and I told [pitching coach Derek Lilliquist], ‘Something is wrong,’ and then finally we went out there and he said he was hurt.”

Kelley threw just four pitches before he was lifted mid-at-bat, which is never a good sign.

“He’s got an irritated ulnar nerve,” Martinez told reporters after the Nationals’ third straight loss.

“Same situation I guess he had in the past, he’s going to get reevaluated tomorrow.”

Kelley, 33, has already undergone Tommy John surgery twice, and he dealt with a nerve issue in his elbow back in 2016, then had problems with bone chips in his elbow in 2017, which bothered him all season, and eventually ended a rough campaign in September.

Martinez said Kelley was understandably down when he spoke to the reliever after the game.

“I talked to him, and I told him, ‘Hey, hang in there.’ He’s a little disappointed, but I said, ‘Hey, just hang in there. Let’s see what’s going on.”

Kelley posted a 7.27 ERA and an 8.62 FIP last season, with 11 walks (3.81 BB/9), 25 Ks (8.65 K/9), and 12 home runs allowed in 26 IP after giving up 11 HRs in 58 IP in 2016, with a 2.64 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 11 walks (1.71 BB/9), and 80 Ks (12.41 K/9) in his first season in D.C.

Martinez was asked if Kelley was headed for the Disabled List, after having given up six hits and three home runs in six innings pitched early this season.

“Like I said, he’s going to get reevaluated tomorrow, but it’s the same issue, you know, so I think a DL stint for him to get it to calm down a little bit probably won’t be a bad thing.”