PHOENIX –As the 2026 MLB Opening Day comes up, the Arizona Diamondbacks will need to find a new option for their starting pitcher as Merrill Kelly has now been ruled out with a back injury.
Arizona pitcher Merrill Kelly during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields on Feb. 13, 2026, Scottsdale. © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Arizona pitcher Corbin Burnes (back) and pitching coach Brian Kaplan watch pitcher Kelly (29) throw during spring training workouts on Feb. 10, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The plan was simple. With Corbin Burnes rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the Arizona Diamondbacks handed the ball to Merrill Kelly to open the season against the Dodgers , as he is steady, durable, and trusted. Now sidelined with intercostal nerve irritation despite clean tests, Merrill Kelly admitted that Thursday was likely off the table. For a club that built its offseason around pitching stability, the timing stings.
Burnes' absence already removed the traditional ace layer. Kelly's two-year return was about continuity with a veteran who limits walks and commands tempo. His value isn't flash; it's reliability. Now that Kelly is unavailable, will the spotlight shift to Zac Gallen ? Re-signed and familiar with the market's expectations, Gallen could now get a massive opportunity. Gallen, who tested free agency this offseason, will now have a chance to show why he deserves a big contract.
For D-backs fans, this isn't just about one April start. It's about rotation sequencing, bullpen strain, and whether the Diamondbacks can tread water early in a division where every game against Los Angeles feels amplified.
Jun 15, 2025; Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.; Arizona right-hander Kelly (29) pitches against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Arizona doesn't need dominance in March; it needs durability by May. If Kelly's issue proves minor and Gallen stabilizes the top, the disruption becomes a footnote. Opening Day may have changed for the Diamondbacks, though the stakes didn't.
