Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said there is a path for right-hander Merrill Kelly to avoid opening the season on the injured list and be available to pitch in the fourth or fifth game of the season.
“If we do start the progression sooner than later, he might be on the back end of our rotation,” Lovullo said. “That’s what we’re going to hold out hope for.”
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Kelly was scratched from his live batting practice session over the weekend due to back tightness. He played light catch on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and told reporters he still felt discomfort when throwing.
Lovullo did not offer specifics on when Kelly would need to begin ramping up, but the club likely will not put him on the Opening Day roster unless he is capable of logging roughly 90 pitches in his first start.
That means he probably would need to be built up to 70 or so pitches sometime around Opening Day, which is March 26 vs. the Dodgers.
Kelly was diagnosed with intercostal nerve irritation in his back, Lovullo said.
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Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) steals second against Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) steals second against Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after scoring on a Ildemaro Vargas (6) 2-RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt (86) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) hits a sacrifice bunt against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt (86) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Gerardo Carrillo (68) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Noah Miller (88) singles to right against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Zach Ehrhard (99) reacts after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
A vendor sells beer on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits an RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Payton Martin throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) lined out to center against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) reacts after scoring on an RBI-double by Nolan Arenado (28) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Noah Miller (88) singles to right, then takes third on fielding errors by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) lined out to center against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after hitting an RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) leaves the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Fans fill the left field lawn in the third inning to watch the Dodgers play the D-Backs on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) runs for third on an RBI-double by Nolan Arenado (28) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) reacts after walking Arizona Diamondbacks Tim Tawa (13) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) is out at second on a double play by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland (76) in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) grounds into a double play against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) fist-pumps his players before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) reacts after reaching third base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) laughs with first baseman Pavin Smith (26) before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) reacts after facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt (86) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) and second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) get pumped up before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) watches the action against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
Rotation depth takes early hit with Cristian Mena injury
Right-hander Cristian Mena is dealing with renewed discomfort in his right shoulder and has been shut down from throwing, an early blow to the Diamondbacks’ rotation depth.
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Lovullo said Mena felt something in his shoulder this week and was sent for an MRI on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The test revealed more issues with Mena’s right teres major muscle, the same injury that ended his season last June.
“We’re going to slow-play it, pull back a little bit, let that thing heal up,” Lovullo said.
The issue is likely to land him on the injured list to open the season.
Mena, 23, logged a 4.84 ERA in 44 2/3 innings in Triple-A Reno last season. He gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings in the majors.
Brandon Pfaadt update, WBC departures
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt was scheduled to pitch in a backfield game on Feb. 26 before likely making his Cactus League debut in five or six days.
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Lovullo said Pfaadt has been handled cautiously this time because he dealt with a “side” issue during the offseason. He said Pfaadt is “asymptomatic” and has been since the start of spring training.
Meanwhile, Lovullo said the team is preparing for players to start leaving camp for the World Baseball Classic. He said they will leave over the next few days.
Among those in the organization who are playing in the tournament are infielders Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Nolan Arenado and Carlos Santana; outfielder Alek Thomas; and pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka.
Special guest at Mexico exhibition game
When the Diamondbacks host Mexico’s World Baseball Classic team in a spring training game on Tuesday, March 3, a special guest will pay both teams a visit prior to the game.
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World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaimán is scheduled to pay a visit to the Salt River Fields to visit with representatives of both teams, then throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the 1:10 p.m. start.
“It’s going to be a little different spice, but I’m always eager to see people around the game,” Lovullo said. “It will be a baseball game to us, but we’re excited to see what Team Mexico will look like.”
The game is a tune-up for Mexico before the team heads to Houston for World Baseball Classic pool play later in March.
-Jose M. Romero
(This story will be updated. Check back soon.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks hoping Merrill Kelly can make speedy return