Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly was scratched from his start in San Francisco Sunday afternoon, with Kelly telling Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he’s suffering from an injury involving his teres major strain.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that, per manager Torey Lovullo, Kelly has already undergone an MRI and is going to head back to Phoenix to be evaluated by team doctors. Piecoro adds that the club remains hopeful that the veteran hurler can avoid a stint on the injured list.
Missed time for Kelly would be a serious blow to the Diamondbacks’ rotation, which has already been without veteran southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez to this point in a season due to a lat strain.
Losing Kelly, who sports a 3.26 ERA and 3.75 FIP over 67 starts dating back to the 2022 campaign, would compound the loss of Rodriguez and right-hander Ryne Nelson, who was placed on the injured list with a right elbow contusion last week. Kelly’s start Sunday afternoon went to right-hander Slade Cecconi, who posted a 4.33 ERA and 4.37 FIP in 27 innings of work for D-backs last year.
If Kelly misses more than just Sunday’s start, the club would likely need a fifth starter to go along with Cecconi, Zac Gallen, Jordan Montgomery and Brandon Pfaadt.
One possible option could be left-hander Tommy Henry, who has pitched 154 1/3 innings of work across 30 appearances with the Diamondbacks since his debut in 2022 but has generally struggled in those appearances. While he posted a roughly league average ERA of 4.15 with the club last year, he allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in just 18 1/3 innings across four starts in the majors this year and holds a career ERA in the big leagues of 4.84 with a 5.18 FIP.
More from around the NL West:
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!