Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly returns to the rotation. He is going to pitch the second game of the series against the Baltimore Orioles. Kelly was slated to be the opening day starter for the Diamondbacks before going on the IL for a back injury.
The injury occurred in Spring Training during a warm up session. He made a few starts before the organization decided a stint on the injured list was the most prudent move for Kelly.
Kelly is coming off two rehab starts; one in AAA and the other in extended Spring Training. He stated that he felt the extra starts were extraneous.
“I just felt like I was ready,” Kelly said. “But obviously, it’s not my decision. You know, it’s up to the organization. Obviously, I wanted to be back with the team, help the team. I felt like I was healthy, but at the end of the day, one more is not going to make or break anything.”
The team has yet to make a corresponding move with his return, creating questions about who will be demoted.
Former Playoff Hero Faces Potential Demotion
GettyBrandon Pfaadt faces demotion after recent struggles.
With manager Torey Lovullo ruling out a six man rotation, the Diamondbacks have some questions to answer in the coming days about who is going to be removed from the 26 man roster.
The current assumption is that Brandon Pfaadt will potentially be demoted to AAA or moved to the bullpen. Pfaadt has had a difficult start to the season so far in 2026. He’s pitched for a 5.94 ERA in three starts, displaying some concerning underlying metrics as well such as 5.94 strikeouts per nine and 3.24 walks per nine, the worst rates of his career.
Pfaadt was once a promising starter for the Diamondbacks after an incredible postseason run where he pitched for a 3.27 ERA in five starts as the Diamondbacks made a run for the World Series.
He continued to have solid seasons for the club despite a high ERA. In 2024 and 2025, he had a 4.71 ERA and 5.25 ERA respectively; however, his fielding independent pitching was 3.61 and 4.22 for those respective years as well.
It is probably too early for the Diamondbacks to completely give up on Pfaadt as he is only 27 years old and has plenty of MLB experience already; however, the Diamondbacks currently have better options ahead of in the rotation.
Diamondbacks Rotation Has Been an Early Season Highlight
GettyEduardo Rodriguez has been outstanding to begin 2026.
The current Diamondbacks rotation has largely been a success and should only get better as the season continues. Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, and Zac Gallen have all had decent starts to the 2026 season.
Rodriguez in particular has begun the season pitching for a 0.5 ERA in three starts. The team overall has the sixth best ERA in the majors for starting pitchers.
With Kelly slated to come back, it seems pretty clear that Pfaadt is the weak link of the rotation. However, it’s unclear where he will go. The bullpen could use some assistance as they rank 21st in overall bullpen ERA. When Corbin Burnes returns as well from the 60-day IL, it will further bury Pfaadt and potentially Ryne Nelson, who also has had a lackluster start to 2026.
Arizona Diamondbacks Starter Return Creates Rotation Questions