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Arizona • #29 • SP

Merrill Kelly

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Schedule

Preseason
@
SEA
Cancelled
vs
CIN
Fri, Mar 14
W 2-1
vs
CHW
Sat, Mar 15
W 9-8
@
SD
Sun, Mar 16
W 5-4
@
KC
Mon, Mar 17
L 12-1
vs
LAA
Mon, Mar 17
L 11-5
vs
COL
Wed, Mar 19
4:10 pm
vs
ATH
Thu, Mar 20
4:10 pm
@
MIL
Fri, Mar 21
9:10 pm
MLBN
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Player Outlook
Before an early shoulder injury sidelined Merrill Kelly from mid-April to August, the right-hander was headed for a second consecutive impressive season, posting a 2.19 ERA over four starts. He had less success (4.96 ERA) following his return, but most of the damage was in August, and Kelly was back on form in September. Kelly finished with a greater HR/9 and struck out fewer batters in 2024, but when a pitcher misses four months, one should resist making judgments based on ratios/results and instead focus on the injury, which altered his pitch mix. Kelly threw more cutters and changeups than four-seamers for the first time in his career; however, he pitched well when healthy in April and September, putting him on a path for a normal winter of preparation. The Diamondbacks have confidence that the 36-year-old will return to his 2023 iteration (3.29 ERA, 9.5 K/9) and picked up his option.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
ip
Innings Pitched
w
Wins
l
Losses
sv
Saves
so
Strikeouts
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
era
Earned Run Average
whip
Walks and Hits Allowed Per Inning
2025 — — — — — — — — 0.00 0.00
2024 176.513.6 73.7 5 1 — 63 19 4.03 1.17
2023 443.514.8 177.7 12 8 — 187 69 3.29 1.19
3y Avg. 36814.7 150.7 10 6 — 142 50 3.47 1.17
Full Career Stats
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
80%
Roster
53%
Start
#80
SP Rank

Fantasy News

  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Works on slider

    Rotowire
    Kelly allowed three runs on six hits while striking out four over 2.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Angels. Kelly was tagged for all three runs in the second inning of his fourth Cactus League start. It was an efficient outing, as Kelly required 66 pitches to get those eight outs. He hinted to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that the high pitch count was partially due to a pitcher using spring contests to test out pitches he might not normally throw in certain situations during the regular season. Kelly worked on his slider Monday, throwing it 24 percent of the time. "I think that was one of the things I walked away with today, with how good it's been in spring," Kelly said. It's a pitch the right-hander hasn't used much during his career and only started introducing the last few seasons.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Scoreless spring outing

    Rotowire
    Kelly allowed five hits while striking out one over 3.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Royals. Kelly threw 48 pitches in his third Cactus League start, the same number of pitches he threw the last time out, March 7, against the Mariners. He navigated first-inning trouble with the help of his defense; a baserunner was caught attempting to steal and a second one was picked off by Kelly, the third time he's picked off a runner this spring. After three spring outings, Kelly has a 2.35 ERA over 7.2 innings.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Dealing with calf cramp

    Rotowire
    Kelly was removed from Saturday's game against the Brewers due to a right calf cramp. Kelly had thrown 72 pitches through five scoreless innings and was set to come out for the sixth, but after a long discussion on the mound, he was pulled from the game. He finished with six strikeouts while allowing just two hits. Kelly has dealt with leg cramps in the past, and he was forced to leave his start against the Rangers on Sept. 11 due to hamstring cramping. It's unclear whether his current injury will force him to miss his next start in the rotation.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Leaves with apparent cramping

    Rotowire
    Kelly left Saturday's game against the Brewers after five innings with an apparent injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Kelly was visited by trainers on the mound before leaving the game. The 35-year-old has been forced to exit games early in the past due to leg cramps, with the last instance taking place Sept. 11 against the Rangers. Kelly finishes the contest having thrown five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out six batters. Joe Mantiply came in for Kelly in the top of the sixth inning.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Solid outing in no decision

    Rotowire
    Kelly came away with a no decision in Monday's loss to the Rockies. He allowed one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five. Kelly exited his previous start against the Rangers due to a hamstring injury but was able to get through six innings with relative ease on Monday. Kelly came into the start with a 5.85 ERA over six starts since returning from the injured list Aug. 11, but he now has two quality starts in his last three appearances. The 35-year-old will carry a 4.00 ERA and 1.19 WHIP into his next start against the Brewers.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Cleared to pitch Monday

    Rotowire
    Kelly is listed as the Diamondbacks' probable starting pitcher for Monday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field. The right-hander will take his next turn through the rotation on his normal four days' rest, despite exiting his previous start Wednesday against the Rangers after four-plus innings due to right hamstring cramping. Since returning from the injured list Aug. 11 following a prolonged absence due to a teres major strain of his shoulder, Kelly has gone 2-0 with a 5.85 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB in 32.1 innings over six starts.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Could start early next week

    Rotowire
    Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Kelly (hamstring) could start Monday or Tuesday against the Rockies in Colorado, ArizonaSports.com reports. Lovullo said Kelly was doing better Friday, and if that trend continues, the right-hander will be ready to take his next turn through the rotation. Kelly was pulled from his previous start Wednesday against the Rangers with right hamstring cramps.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Managing hamstring cramps

    Rotowire
    Manager Torey Lovullo said Kelly was lifted from Wednesday's start due to right hamstring cramping, but the right-hander is expected to make his next turn through the rotation, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports. Kelly allowed three earned runs over four innings before being lifted from Wednesday's contest, but he doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious injury. The 35-year-old's next turn through the rotation tentatively lines up for Monday in Colorado, and he should be expected to take the mound then unless the hamstring issue lingers.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Exits start with possible cramping

    Rotowire
    Kelly was removed from Wednesday's start against the Rangers in the fifth inning with an undisclosed injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. The Diamondbacks should provide an update on Kelly's condition after the game, but he has dealt with cramping multiple times in the past and was seen shaking his leg during a visit from the trainer. Kelly struck out three and was charged with two runs over four-plus innings before being removed.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Rebounds with seven quality innings

    Rotowire
    Kelly did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings against the Giants. He struck out eight. Kelly was sharp Thursday, completing seven frames with the only blemish against his line being a two-out single in the fourth by Patrick Bailey that drove in two to tie the game. However, despite knocking out Giants' starter Blake Snell after just one inning, the Diamondbacks couldn't muster any more runs against the San Francisco bullpen and Kelly left with a quality no-decision. The eight strikeouts matched a season high and were the most Kelly has accumulated since his first start of the season. His performance comes on the heels of allowing 14 earned runs including six homers over his previous three starts spanning 16.1 innings. He'll look to ride the momentum from Thursday's start into his next outing, scheduled to take place when Arizona hosts the Rangers in a rematch of the 2023 World Series.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Greeted by homer barrage

    Rotowire
    Kelly allowed six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a walk while striking out one over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Saturday. Kelly looked to be in for a long night after giving up solo home runs to Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman over his first 11 pitches. Kelly struggled against the top of the Dodgers' order in the second inning as well, but he was able to settle down after that. The right-hander hasn't been very good since he returned from a four-month absence with a shoulder injury -- he's allowed 18 runs (16 earned), including six homers, over 21.1 innings since he returned to action Aug. 11. Kelly has a 4.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB through 46 innings over eight starts this season. He's tentatively projected to make his next start at San Francisco.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Confirmed for start

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Phillies, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports. As expected, Kelly will take the mound for Arizona on Sunday for the first time since April. The 35-year-old threw 62 pitches in his lone minor-league start, so he should be under some sort of pitch count during his MLB return. Kelly allowed three runs on six hits and no walks across four innings during the minor-league outing and may need to shake off some rust before recapturing his early 2024 form.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Set for bullpen session

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Friday at Chase Field, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Kelly made a rehab start with High-A Hillsboro on Tuesday, surrendering three runs on six hits while striking out two batters over four innings. The right-hander has been out since late April while recovering from a right shoulder strain, and it's possible that if Friday's session goes well, Kelly could be activated from the 60-day injured list as soon as Sunday.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Making rehab start Tuesday

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Hillsboro on Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. Kelly threw a three-inning simulated game Wednesday, clearing the way for him to make a rehab start. It could be the only one he needs before rejoining the Diamondbacks' rotation. Kelly has been shelved since late April with a teres major strain in his right shoulder.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Throws bullpen Sunday

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Sunday, MLB.com reports. Kelly, who threw a simulated game Thursday, followed up with a bullpen Sunday. The Diamondbacks plan to assess the right-hander after recovering from the session to determine next steps. Kelly landed on the injured list in April after feeling something grab in the shoulder while playing catch in the outfield.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Throws sim game

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) threw two innings in a simulated game Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports. Kelly faced hitters for the first time since being placed on the injured list in late April with a strained right shoulder. The 35-year-old is slated to throw again Sunday and looks to be nearing a rehab assignment. Kelly has only made four starts this season, and will likely require multiple rehab starts before being cleared.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: On track to face hitters soon

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) is expected to throw two more bullpen sessions before facing hitters, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Kelly is slated to throw off the bump Saturday and is expected to require one additional bullpen session before being cleared to face hitters. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that the right-hander is "feeling really, really good." Kelly is been limited to just four starts this season with a right shoulder strain and will need time to ramp things back up, but the recent reports on his progress have been positive.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Throws side session Friday

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) threw 32 pitches in a bullpen session Friday, MLB.com reports. Kelly completed his second bullpen session of the week and looks like he could be ready to face hitters as soon as next week The right-hander has been on the shelf since April 23 with a right shoulder strain and is tentatively expected to return in early August.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Successful bullpen session Tuesday

    Rotowire
    Kelly (shoulder) completed a bullpen session Tuesday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Kelly, along with teammates Jordan Montgomery (knee) and Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder), all threw bullpen sessions Tuesday, and manager Torey Lovullo said all three pitchers "felt good" afterwards. Kelly hasn't pitched since being placed on the injured list April 23 with a right shoulder strain, and his mid-August return timeline gives him the furthest return date of the trio of injured starters.
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  • Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Set to throw off mound Tuesday

    Rotowire
    Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Kelly (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. Kelly recently upped his throwing distance to 120 feet, and Tuesday will mark the first time he's thrown off the mound since straining his right shoulder in April. It's a positive step in the 35-year-old's throwing program, though the right-hander isn't expected to come off the injured list until mid-to-late August. In the four starts prior to his injury, Kelly was 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 24.2 innings.
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