Inside The Diamondbacks

Merrill Kelly to Face Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners Today

Kelly will make his first Cactus League start of 2023
Jack Sommers|
Merrill Kelly to Face Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners Today
Merrill Kelly to Face Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners Today

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Arizona DiamondbacksSeattle Mariners

Merrill Kelly will be making his first spring start for the Diamondbacks today, facing the Seattle Mariners at Salt River Fields, 1:10 P.M. game time. 

The right hander is scheduled to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic on March 7th, so this likely will be the last time Kelly pitches in a Cactus league game for a couple of weeks. Team USA will play in pool C games march 11, 12, 13 and 15.  Kelly will presumably pitch in at least one of those games.  After that, the finals take place in Miami from March 17th to march 21st. Should team USA make it all the way to the championship game then Kelly will only have the chance for one or two starts at most with the D-backs before they open the regular season on March 30th in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Among the many rules limiting pitcher usage, there is a 65 pitch limit for any one pitcher during this first round. That increases to 80 pitches for the quarterfinals and 95 pitches in the Championship round.  Keeping close tabs on the pitcher usage and health is a priority for team USA GM Tony Regains.

Today's Lineup

Fan's watching attending today's at Salt River Fields will get another chance to see prospect Jordan Lawlar, and top rated catching prospect Gabriel Moreno.  They'll also get to see last year's Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez.

Inside the Diamondbacks Notebook:

Zac Gallen threw a simulated game yesterday and has not yet appeared in a Cactus league game. Since it was his day to throw, it's possible the team was keeping him away exposure to the Dodgers. His next outing should be in a Cactus league game

Madison Bumgarner is expected to pitch in a Cactus league game on Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians in Goodyear. 

Nick Ahmed, who has been out with a left (non throwing) elbow/forearm injury will not play in games this weekend. 

Full Audio below

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Jack Sommers
JACK SOMMERS

Jack Sommers is a credentialed beat writer for Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI. He's also the co-host of the Snakes Territory Podcast and Youtube channel. Formerly a baseball operations department analyst for the D-backs, Jack also covered the team for MLB.com, The Associated Press, and SB Nation. Follow Jack on Twitter @shoewizard59

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