Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly exited Wednesday’s game against the Rangers after four innings, throwing just 68 pitches due to hamstring cramping.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Though he took the mound in the 5th inning, Kelly was pulled after issuing a walk to Leody Taveras. At the time of his exit, Kelly had allowed three earned runs on four hits, but Arizona already held a commanding 8-2 lead. The Diamondbacks continued to dominate offensively, finishing with a 14-4 victory.
After the game, Kelly expressed that he doesn’t expect the hamstring tightness to affect him in the coming weeks, though he voiced frustration about his recurring issues. In addition to the hamstring troubles, Kelly has dealt with a shoulder injury for much of the season. A right shoulder strain placed him on the 60-day IL from mid-April all the way to mid-August.
Since his return, Kelly’s ERA has climbed from 2.19 to 4.26, as he has struggled to regain his early-season form. Overall, the Diamondbacks are 4-5 in games Kelly has started this year.
Nevertheless, Lovullo commented after Arizona’s win on Wednesday that he loved what he saw from Kelly. Lovullo mentioned that if it were not for the Diamondbacks’ huge lead, he may have been less cautious with taking Kelly out so early.
As Lovullo noted, with the Wild Card race heating up, the risk of pushing Kelly and potentially aggravating his hamstring wasn’t worth the reward, especially with the possibility of him missing time.
