The Arizona Diamondbacks' season has gone mostly according to script so far, as the defending NL champions are currently 59-51. That record is good enough for second place to their rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are currently four games ahead of the Snakes. They also own the second Wild Card slot at the moment, as the team is a half game above the New York Mets and San Diego Padres, the pair of whom are tied for that final playoff slot.
However, the Diamondbacks may have an ace in the hole, quite literally in fact. MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reported on Friday that veteran starter Merrill Kelly is slated to throw in a rehab game for one of the club's minor league affiliates on Tuesday.
“Merrill Kelly will throw in a rehab game for Hillsboro on Tuesday,” stated Gilbert via X, formerly Twitter.
Kelly is currently on the 60-Day IL with a shoulder injury, but the news that he is slated to begin a rehab assignment this coming week is great news for the Diamondbacks. Fellow starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Blake Walston are also out with injuries at the moment, but it seems as if Arizona will be getting all three back within the next few weeks. It is great timing for manager Torey Lovullo's squad, as they look to make another deep postseason run this year.
Can Merrill Kelly regain previous form for Diamondbacks?
One of the reasons why the Diamondbacks made their run to the World Series last season was because of Kelly, fellow ace Zac Gallen and rookie Brandon Pfaadt. The three starters were excellent down the stretch and in the postseason, and they are key to Arizona's potential success this time around. Gallen and Pfaadt have been producing with the major league team once again this season, but Kelly has been out since April with the current shoulder ailment he has.
However, with Kelly, Rodriguez and Walston all nearing a return, it looks as if the Diamondbacks' starting pitching staff will soon return to full strength. Pitching wins games all season long, but that is especially true in the postseason. There's a reason why so many postseason pitching performances have entered baseball lore, from Stephen Strasburg's showing for the 2019 World Series winning Washington Nationals to Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians) reliever Andrew Miller's lights-out performance in 2016.
“Pitching wins championships” is one of baseball's most known mantras. There's a reason why velocity and jaw-dropping spin rates have become gospel throughout the sport, and by the time October rolls around each season, we see it firsthand. If Arizona stands any chance at winning their second World Series title in franchise history, then having Kelly back at full strength is definitely something they need.
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