The Arizona Diamondbacks have suffered another setback in their rotation, with Merrill Kelly being placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday evening due to a shoulder strain. The news came after the team’s 14-1 drubbing of the St. Louis Cardinals, and manager Torey Lovullo admitted that Kelly’s absence could be a significant one.
Lovullo initially suggested that Kelly could be back in a matter of weeks, but he has since revised that estimate, saying that the right-hander could be out for a month or more. The manager also said that surgery is not currently being considered, but he was noncommittal when asked if Kelly would be back before the All-Star break.
Kelly’s injury further depletes the Diamondbacks’ rotation, which is already without Eduardo Rodriguez, who is nursing a lat strain. The team’s biggest offseason addition, Rodriguez suffered the injury during spring training and has since been moved to the 60-day injured list.
To offset the loss of Rodriguez, the Diamondbacks signed Jordan Montgomery, but Kelly’s absence adds more uncertainty to what is arguably the team’s weakest area: rotation depth. Zac Gallen, Montgomery, and Brandon Pfaadt are expected to hold the top three spots in the rotation, but the team lacks experience beyond that.
Ryne Nelson, who opened the season in the rotation before landing on the injured list last week, Slade Cecconi, and Tommy Henry are seen as the top options for the No. 4 and 5 spots in the rotation until Nelson returns. However, none of those pitchers have significant Major League experience.
Cristian Mena and Blake Walston, who are on the 40-man roster, have yet to make their MLB debuts. Humberto Castellanos and Konnor Pilkington have limited big-league experience and are currently non-roster players at Triple-A Reno.
Kelly’s absence is a significant loss for the Diamondbacks, as the veteran right-hander has been a reliable performer over the past two seasons, allowing fewer than 3.40 earned runs per nine innings and reaching 30 starts in each campaign. He had been off to another solid start this season, posting a 2.19 ERA in his first 24 2/3 innings.
The defending NL West champions have had a pedestrian start overall, with a 12-13 record. They will be hoping that their talented lineup can keep them in the playoff mix until their rotation gets closer to full strength. Rodriguez and Kelly could be back well in advance of the trade deadline, but an extended absence from either or both pitchers may increase the pressure on the front office to upgrade the starting pitching this summer.
