Diamondbacks Holding Out Hope Merrill Kelly Can Avoid the Injured List
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that the team is "holding out hope" that if right-hander Merrill Kelly (back) can ramp up his throwing "sooner than later," that he'll have time to get ready to pitch in the second series of the season and "avoid the injured list," according to The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. It was believed that the 37-year-old would open the 2026 season on the IL, and that's still likely to be the outcome, with the D-backs probably preferring not to rush the veteran hurler back early in the year. When healthy, Kelly is a top-of-the-rotation arm for Arizona, even though his fantasy baseball value is limited due to his lack of strikeouts (22% career strikeout rate). Kelly opened the 2025 season with the D-backs before being traded to the Rangers at midseason. He finished with a 3.52 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 167:48 K:BB in 184 innings (32 starts). An aging pitcher with an injury concern heading into the season isn't exactly a strong late-round fantasy target.
Source: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
Source: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
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