Diamondbacks Suddenly Face Major Pitching Dilemma

There's an obvious candidate on that list. Gallen has made three straight opening day starts from 2023-2025. But Gallen signed somewhat late, missing the first several days of camp. Lovullo said he would have to wait and see about Gallen's ramp-up process to determine his readiness

"We got to see what his buildup is," Lovullo said. "What I don't want to have happen is we put somebody out there for five [innings] and sixty-five [pitches] and we'll put ourselves in a situation where if there's a small hiccup, we're playing catch up on day one."

Lovullo did say he has been impressed with Gallen's ramp-up process thus far this spring.

"He's a very process-oriented player. He came in here in real good shape. I could tell that he was getting workouts done. ... I think it's been two weeks since he signed, the fact that he's turned it around and he's starting a game [Wednesday] tells me that story and a lot of what I need to know.

2026's initial decision was much quicker than the previous year. Lovullo deliberated for a lengthy period prior to 2025's opening day before eventually landing on Gallen, rather than newly-signed ace Corbin Burnes, who boasted better career numbers and a Cy Young award on his resume.

Lovullo said he will not necessarily focus on veteran status over track record this year, despite his recent history.

"I believe in everybody gets an equal opportunity, get the look," he said. "But I balanced it out last year... when I said Zac Gallen, with my history and my time with him, gave him the nod over Corbin Burnes.

"I'll add it all up. I'll put everything into my own personal hopper and then make that decision," Lovullo said.

It's also worth noting that Nelson had been throwing on a similar schedule to Kelly prior to Kelly being shut down. Nelson's 3.39 ERA, of course, was also the best of any starter remaining in Arizona's rotation when 2025 came to a close.