Merrill Kelly to make another rehab start before returning from injured list
Merrill Kelly will make another start in the Arizona Complex League on Thursday as he ramps up his rehab from a blood clot in his right calf.
The Diamondbacks had previously hoped that Kelly would be able to return from the injured list during this weekend’s series in Cincinnati. Now, he is lined up to “hopefully” return in the following three-game set against the Cardinals, according to manager Torey Lovullo.
“I think it’s just out of safety, just to make sure that he’s 100% ready to go,” Lovullo said.
Kelly last started for the Diamondbacks on June 24 in San Francisco before the blood clot popped up the next morning. With a 3.22 ERA in 16 starts, his return is critical for a team aiming to get back on track amid a 2-8 stretch.
Because of Monday’s off-day, the Diamondbacks will not need a fifth starter until Saturday against the Reds. Lovullo said the team has not decided who will fill that role. When Kelly’s last spot came up, on July 8, the Diamondbacks used Kyle Nelson as an opener and had Tyler Gilbert pitch three innings in relief. Gilbert remains on the 26-man roster and has not pitched since that game.
Lovullo giving Gabriel Moreno ‘a little bit of a break’
Lovullo said that catcher Gabriel Moreno is not dealing with any injuries. Rather, Lovullo is “just trying to give him a little bit of a downturn and let him catch his breath a little bit.”
Moreno has not started since Friday in Toronto, when he went 2 for 4 with a home run and caught a runner stealing.
Lovullo said that he wanted to give Moreno “a little bit of a break,” but plans to get back to a 50/50 split between him and Carson Kelly in the coming days. After starting the season well at the plate, Moreno is hitting .214 with a .593 OPS over the past two months. He has already appeared in 70 games this year and is on track to beat his previous career-high of 87 games played.
“He’s gonna find himself in the middle of everything here moving forward,” Lovullo said. “We’ll make up for some of the lost time that he’s had over the past two weeks and we’ll get into more of a rhythm with him.”
Josh Rojas progressing towards return from back injury
Josh Rojas has not appeared in a game for Triple-A Reno since July 1 with a lower back injury. He is currently at Salt River Fields rehabbing and “getting his swing back together again,” per Lovullo.
Lovullo sounded as if the primary concern with Rojas is not his injury, but rather making sure that his swing is in order. He was optioned to Triple-A on June 19 after struggling to a .607 OPS this year in the majors. In seven games for Reno, he was just 6 for 29 (.207) with a .634 OPS.
“I don’t know when his go day is,” Lovullo said. “I think it’s coming up here pretty soon. But we need Josh Rojas. We need him to be at full strength, be healthy, get his swing back to where it was and get back on the field here at the big league level.”
Drey Jameson continuing to gather opinions on elbow
Right-hander Drey Jameson is set to get a third and final opinion on an injury to his pitching elbow in the coming days. The decision for Jameson lies in whether he will undergo Tommy John Surgery or rehab his elbow in an attempt to avoid the surgery, which would likely sideline him until 2025.
Jameson had a 3.32 ERA in 40 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks this season, most of which were out of the bullpen.
Diamondbacks agree to terms with 16 draft picks
he Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that they have agreed to terms with 16 of their 21 picks from this month’s amateur draft. That group includes all of their picks through the sixth round, most notably first-rounder Tommy Troy.
Their remaining unsigned players are seventh rounder LHP Ryan Bruno from Stanford, ninth rounder RHP Kyle Amendt from Dallas Baptist, 10th rounder RHP Zane Russell from Dallas Baptist, 13th rounder RHP Hayden Durke from Rice and 20th rounder RHP Dominic Voegele from Columbia High School (Illinois ).
The Diamondbacks also announced the signing of four undrafted players: RHP Roman Angelo from Fresno State, LHP Shane Telfer from Pepperdine, CF Cole Roberts from Loyola Marymount and C Jeremiah Boyd from Middle Tennessee State.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kelly to make another rehab start; Rojas progressing towards return