The Arizona Diamondbacks made it their mission to bolster their starting rotation over the winter. They acquired Josh Grosz in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, acquired Michael Soroka, Merrill Kelly, and re-signed Zac Gallen.
However, they will be without Merrill Kelly to start the season. He is currently dealing with intercostal nerve irritation in his back and is hoping to avoid the injury list.
While he would love to avoid the IL, that is not certain. Nerve issues can be tricky to recover from, and he may have to miss more time than expected, joining Corbin Burnes on the IL.
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Former All-Star arm expected to step up for the D-backs with Merrill Kelly sidelined
It is a good thing that Arizona brought in all these arms over the winter because they might need them. If Kelly does hit the IL, the D-backs will be set.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter takes a shot at projecting Arizona’s Opening Day rotation. And with Kelly not projected to be back in time for Opening Day, Soroka will likely serve as the No. 5 starter.
1. Zac Gallen
2. Ryne Nelson
3. Eduardo Rodriguez
4. Brandon Pfaadt
5. Michael Soroka
“The D-backs re-signed veteran Merrill Kelly to a two-year, $40 million deal after trading him to the Texas Rangers last summer, but he will be sidelined to start the year due to a nagging back issue. With Corbin Burnes also still recovering from Tommy John surgery, the late-offseason reunion with Zac Gallen becomes even more important, and he will likely take the ball on Opening Day.”
According to Reuter, he believes Gallen will get the call to start on Opening Day. All eyes will be on him to lead the charge after a disappointing 2025 season. He will be followed by Ryne Nelson, who is coming off arguably his best season to date.
After that, the lefty, Eduardo Rodriguez, will get the ball, followed by Brandon Pfaadt, and former All-Star starter Michael Soroka.
This group will try to kick things off and keep the team afloat until Kelly returns, followed by Burnes, who isn’t expected back until July.
