The Diamondbacks suffered another injury setback on Tuesday, with pitchers Merrill Kelly and Miguel Castro placed on the 15-day injured list.
Now, the D-backs have seven different pitchers that are currently out with injuries. This list includes Merrill Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Paul Sewald, Miguel Castro, Drey Jameson, Luis Frias, and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Kelly, experiencing shoulder discomfort, was pulled from his recent start. An MRI later confirmed a shoulder sprain. Prior to his injury, Kelly had been the standout starter for the Diamondbacks, boasting a 2.19 ERA over four starts, each lasting at least five innings, with no more than two earned runs allowed per game.
While Kelly will not need surgery, his return timeline is still uncertain. Manager Torey Lovullo noted that Kelly still needs “a couple of other opinions.”
As for Miguel Castro, he has struggled significantly to start the year, allowing five earned runs in 8.2 innings of work. Castro is also dealing with right shoulder issues.
In response to these two pitchers heading to the IL, the Diamondbacks recalled LHP Tommy Henry and LHP Andrew Saalfrank from Triple-A Reno.
Henry made the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster but was later sent down once Jordan Montgomery was brought up. In his four starts this season, the former 2nd round pick allowed 15 earned runs in 18.1 innings.
On the other hand, Andrew Saalfrank, despite a stellar end to last year, did not make the Opening Day roster. Saalfrank made his major league debut in August and went on to allow just two runs in 10 innings to wrap up the season.
During the World Series, with little MLB experience, Saalfrank tossed three shutout innings across three appearances out of the bullpen in high-leverage situations.
Stay tuned for further updates.
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