Carlos Santana left today’s game with right groin discomfort, and manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Santana will undergo an MRI tomorrow. The injury developed during an at-bat in the second inning, though Santana still managed to hit a single before being replaced by a pinch-runner.
The Diamondbacks have an off-day Monday before embarking on a nine-day, nine-game road trip on Tuesday against the Mets. The MRI will keep Santana from traveling with the club tomorrow, Lovullo said, though the first baseman could join the D’Backs in relatively short order depending on the test results. Even if the MRI is clean, it would seem like Santana will get at least a couple of rest days to make sure he’s entirely healthy.
The groin problem continues Santana’s rocky start to the 2026 campaign. Santana’s single today was just his second hit in 26 plate appearances, as the veteran has a dismal .083/.154/.125 slash line. Arizona signed Santana to a one-year, $2MM free agent deal to handle first base in a platoon with Pavin Smith, but that plan hasn’t really launched since Smith appeared in only two games before elbow inflammation sent him to the 10-day injured list.
Jose Fernandez was called up from Triple-A to replace Smith, and he has hit .250/.250/.625 with two homers over his first 16 PA at the big league level. Smith isn’t eligible to be activated until April 8 at the earliest, and if Santana is also IL-bound, the D’Backs might toggle first base duties between Fernandez and utilityman Ildemaro Vargas in the interim. Tyler Locklear isn’t an option in the first base picture until at least mid-May, as Locklear is recovering from offseason surgeries on both his left elbow and left shoulder.
In other injury news, Merrill Kelly should be on track to make his 2026 debut during the Diamondbacks’ road trip, though not after completing a second minor league rehab start. Lovullo told Piecoro and company that the team wants to see Kelly get a bit more “buildup” after the righty threw 72 pitches in his first rehab outing.
“I know he feels differently because he wants to go out there and compete….[but] we want to make darn sure, so we don’t take any steps backward,” Lovullo said.
Kelly developed a back problem early in Spring Training, and started the season on the 15-day IL due to what was officially termed as intercostal nerve irritation. Kelly recovered to the point that he was able to pitch in three Cactus League games, but he logged only 6 1/3 total innings, and a 12.79 ERA in that limited sample indicated Kelly wasn’t fully ready.
While health and comfort are the priorities in a rehab assignment over on-field results, Kelly looked pretty good over five scoreless Triple-A innings last Friday. The righty allowed two hits, two walks, and he hit a batter over his five frames and 72 pitches, with velocity in line with his career norms.
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