SCOTTSDALE — Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly will no longer start on Opening Day due to intercostal nerve irritation in his back, manager Torey Lovullo announced on Wednesday.
Kelly said he underwent “every test under the sun,” which revealed no structural damage. He played catch on Wednesday, saying that most throws felt fine but he felt that tightness creep up on others.
“Everything’s coming back clear, which is a positive,” Kelly said. “But there’s still something going on back there.”
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Lovullo said Arizona’s new Opening Day starter is to be determined, and Kelly starting the season on the injured list is a “possibility.”
“We have an idea of what to do next, I’m not gonna speak too much on that right now because we want to see if it works before we dive into what we’re doing,” Kelly said.
Kelly was scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Saturday, but after warming up in the bullpen, he had to shut it down.
The 37-year-old had felt some tightness in his back earlier in camp, but it had calmed down during his daily work until he got back in the bullpen.
“ It wasn’t like I threw one pitch and it tweaked on me and then it kept going,” Kelly explained on Saturday. ”Today was definitely the sharpest I’ve felt it.”
Merrill Kelly said the tests have all come back clean, but he still feels something in his back when he throws. He admitted starting on Opening Day was probably off the table. pic.twitter.com/VvszTN8gBc
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) February 25, 2026
Kelly has been a workhorse throughout his big league career, eclipsing 175 innings in three of the past four seasons even with recurring cramping situations that have popped up in the summers. He has not experienced back issues in his career.
He tossed 184 innings last season with a 3.52 ERA before he entered free agency. The veteran returned to the Diamondbacks on a two-year, $40 million deal with a vesting option for a third season.
The Diamondbacks announced shortly into spring training that Kelly would start on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, setting up Kelly’s first career MLB Opening Day start.
“I think for me that’s probably the most unfortunate part,” Kelly said. “The way I look at it is this was probably my one and only shot to do that. … All I really care about at this point is being able to throw again and being ready for the team whether it’s Opening Day or the last day of the rotation.”
Lovullo said there are five candidates to start Opening Day.
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