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Sewald to Begin Rehab Assignment, Kelly to Get Second MRI on Shoulder
Some additional health updates on closer Paul Sewald and starter Merrill Kelly.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo gave an update to reports on the status of closer Paul Sewald and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly. Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports that Sewald is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno this week and Kelly will get getting a second MRI on his right shoulder.
Getting Sewald back would be huge for a bullpen that ranks 17th in ERA (3.99) and 27th in Win Probability Added (-0.46). Inserting him back in the ninth inning pushes everyone else back an inning and gives Lovullo more options to navigate the end of ballgames. Kevin Ginkel has done a solid job of navigating the closer role in Sewald's absence. He does have two blown saves on the year although both were largely due to weird bounces out of his control.
Kelly's injury situation is more concerning. Should he miss time, that would be a huge blow to a starting rotation already missing Eduardo Rodríguez and Ryne Nelson. Left-hander Tommy Henry was added to the taxi squad but is not an option unless Kelly requires a stint on the injured list. Lovullo has not decided on that yet.
Blaze Alexander will be available off the bench, but only in an emergency situation. Alexander told reporters he still feels discomfort in his right hamstring, but there was no structural damage. Lovullo said that his usage of the young infielder will depend on how he progresses, but would like to get him in a game as a late substitution before feeling comfortable to start him again.
