One Injury the Diamondbacks Can't Afford Besides Carroll, Marte

The Arizona Diamondbacks are no strangers to the injured list — so much so, that 2025 was largely derailed as a result of critical injuries to key players.

Such is life for any baseball club, of course. Injuries are simply a part of the game that none can truly avoid.

But there are some areas in which the D-backs carry more depth than others. Some position groups have players who could, conceivably, step up, while others have a much wider gap beyond the starters.

With the exception of the obvious — players like Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte or Geraldo Perdomo — there is one position to which the depth has already been tested this spring: the starting rotation.

Diamondbacks cannot afford injury to starting rotation

The Diamondbacks, as they have done before, entered spring training with what they thought was an excess of starting pitchers.

With six starters, several minor league options behind them, and Corbin Burnes still waiting to return from Tommy John surgery, the questions were centered around who would be pushed into a bullpen role.

And then, the depth vanished.

Mar 18, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) throws against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Merrill Kelly went down with intercostal nerve irritation in his back, which will require him to miss his first two starts of the season. Cristian Mena — who was next in line in the minor leagues — re-aggravated his shoulder strain, and was forced to shut down from throwing completely.

Simply put, if one of Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka or Brandon Pfaadt goes down with an injury (at least before Kelly returns), the Diamondbacks would be in serious trouble.

As it stands, there is no next-man-up that inspires much confidence.

Left-handers Kohl Drake (10.50 ERA) and Mitch Bratt (9.00 ERA) had such difficult springs, it's hard to imagine them being major-league ready just yet. Yu-Min Lin was sent back to minor league camp after a rough Cactus League debut. Righty Daniel Eagen has not thrown a pitch above Double-A.

And the veteran MiLB depth has not been much more effective. Right-hander Bryce Jarvis held a 8.47 ERA in Triple-A last season. Spencer Giesting has not been stretched out much this spring, and had a similarly rough 2025 in Reno (6.47 ERA).

If Arizona were to lose one of their five starters, they would likely be forced to either allow a young arm to work through growing pains in real, crucial early games, or forced to patrol waivers for an emergency option.

Anyone who witnessed that reality occur in 2025 knows how brutal that can be.

If Kelly returns — both healthy and effective — to an intact rotation, the Diamondbacks can breathe a sigh of relief. Until then, it's crucial their starting five remain off the IL.