PHOENIX — Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly will be the first to tell you his shoulder injury recovery is taking longer than expected.
"When I first went down, we all thought it was going to be a shorter process," Kelly said. "But obviously the imaging showed a little differently than that but take it day to day and so far so good."
Kelly initially suffered a right shoulder injury, specifically a teres major sprain, back on April 20, which landed him on the 15-day injured list. After further assessment of the injury, the team placed Kelly on the 60-day injured list.
As for the mental aspect of recovering from one of the larger injuries of Kelly's career, he said it's a process that requires patience and diligence.
"I think that's an ongoing process," Kelly said. "This is the first time I've ever really dealt with an injury like this and soft tissue stuff. So I am trying to navigate the process as best as I can and not have too many expectations and look too far ahead as to when I will be back. That's when you set yourself up for disappointment, so I am taking it each step at a time."
Kelly spoke with the media at a watch party to kick off the Diamondbacks-Phillies series in downtown Phoenix on June 21 and gave an updated timeline as to when he thinks he will return to the field.
The ace mentioned he is hopeful to be playing in mid-August, which is a full month after the All-Star break.
In the meantime, Kelly said he will continue to spend the majority of his days at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, where his rehab process is currently taking place.
And as hard as it is for fans to wait for Kelly to return to the mound, it may be even harder for the righty.
“As competitive as we are, it’s tough watching the team that you love playing for and the guys you want to pull for and be there for,” Kelly said. “Sometimes you feel a little helpless. I think that’s probably been the hardest part since this is kind of my first time really going through this.”
Kelly was arguably the Diamondbacks’ strongest pitcher before his injury, posting a 2.19 ERA across four starts, each lasting at least five innings.
Kelly's injury is one of many for the D-backs as the team nears the halfway point of the 2024 season. Along with Kelly, ace Zac Gallen has spent a lot of time on the injured list and major offseason signing Eduardo Rodriguez has yet to pitch for Arizona in 2024. When you add that to center fielder Alek Thomas missing a lot of time and the D-backs' total pitching staff ranking 26th in MLB, Kelly's return will be a welcome sight for both the team and fans.
And hopefully, it will come sooner rather than later.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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