Merrill

Kelly

Provided he feels good on Monday, the next step will be for him to throw a bullpen session before he gets into a Cactus League game. There is growing optimism that the 37-year-old hurler will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Kelly will progress to facing hitters for the first time since being shut down with a back issue last month. The 37-year-old veteran won’t take the ball for Arizona on Opening Day but there’s a chance he’ll be ready to pitch at the back-end of the rotation to open the regular season. He’s a worthwhile late-round rotation stabilizer for fantasy purposes.

The 37-year-old hurler through 26 or 27 pitches during the session and didn’t report any lingering back issues. Kelly is still optimistic that he’ll be able to make his first scheduled turn in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, though there’s still no clear timeline from the team on the next steps in his throwing progression.

Kelly paused his throwing program in late February after experiencing back tightness but an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage. The 37-year-old veteran is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but he should be ready to make his season debut in early April.

Kelly received a cortisone injection in his back last week, and he’s able to throw from (almost) the distance of the mound to the plate. The 37-year-old is still likely to oepn the year on the injured list, but it sounds like the potential for a short stay.

Kelly received a cortisone injection and lidocaine in his back last week and was able to play catch on Sunday without any issue. It still seems more likely that he’ll open the season on the injured list as the Diamondbacks won’t want to push him too hard to build up during the spring, but it sounds like if he is shelved to start the season that it won’t be for long.

Kelly had an MRI on his back, and the tests “haven’t revealed any structural issues with his back"; however, he “played catch today and said he is still feeling something in there when he throws.” The fact that Kelly continues to feel pain in his back when he’s throwing is not ideal and makes him a real risk to take in fantasy drafts right now.

Kelly underwent precautionary imaging after being scratched from a scheduled live batting practice session over the weekend due to mid-back tightness. There should be a definitive update regarding the 37-year-old veteran’s status at some point in the coming days. At this point, he remains on track to take the ball on Opening Day.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that his level of concern is minimal after Kelly was scratched from facing hitters in a scheduled live batting practice session. The 37-year-old veteran will undergo some testing out of an abundance of caution to rule out any structural damage. There should be an update on his status at some point next week. He doesn’t appear to be in danger of missing next month’s Opening Day start, even if he temporarily scales back his throwing program.

It’s a tad early for such declarations but fantasy managers will take it. Kelly ostensibly gets the nod for next month’s lid-lifter against the Dodgers over Zac Gallen, who agreed to return to the desert on a one-year pact earlier this weekend. The 37-year-old veteran posted a sparkling 3.52 ERA — 4.15 xERA — 1.11 WHIP and 167/48 K/BB ratio across 184 innings last year between the Diamondbacks and Rangers.