At the very beginning of Spring Training, Carroll underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his right hand, which kept him out of action for approximately 4 to 8 weeks (the usual timeline after such procedures). Last weekend, Kelly had to sit out a live batting practice session due to back pain, and the discomfort persisted even though both an MRI and CT scan came back clean. Officially, the diagnosis is intercostal nerve irritation, the D’Backs said.
It was enough for Kelly to tell the media last Wednesday that he would likely start the season on the 15-day injured list, although his outlook was different today. Kelly told me Steve Gilbert of MLB.com and other reporters that he received an injection of cortisone and lidocaine earlier this week, and had a pain-free catching session today. Although Kelly will not appear as the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day starter on March 26, Kelly is now scheduled to pitch in the back of Arizona’s rotation, which would provide the right-hander for his season debut during the team’s second series of the year.
The D’Backs open the 2026 season with three games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, then return home after a day off for a seven-game homestand against the Tigers and Braves. Given the March 29 off day, the Snakes could technically postpone Kelly’s first start beyond the first five games, although that would essentially leave the club short of a man until Kelly is ready to take the mound.
With just over three weeks to go until Opening Day, Kelly still has time to restart his throwing progression and get fully ready for the start, assuming his good health continues. Even if Kelly is only built to throw about 50-60 pitches, the D’Backs could use a piggyback starter or lean on the bullpen in the veteran’s first start. On the other hand, Arizona could also simply place Kelly on the IL to give him extra time to heal, and ensure he’s ready to hit the ground as soon as he takes the mound.
As for Carroll, it has been just under three weeks since his surgery on February 11, but he described his progress as “certainly ahead of schedule.” The outfielder told me Gilbert and other reporters that today he has started catching fly balls (Carroll’s right hand is his glove), and that he has started hitting the bat with both hands.
“It is very low intensity, like flips and tee [work]….I think some of the other guys who suffered a hamate injury were happy to see where I am [given] how far out of surgery I am,” Caroll said.
Manager Torey Lovullo described Carroll’s process as “to that line of doing too much. He pushes as hard as he can and as far as he can, and we love that. So we will continue to receive updates from [hand surgeon] Don Sheridan and our medical team on what the next steps are, but yeah, he’s doing very well.”
Being able to hit and catch normally without any discomfort is only part of Carroll’s road to recovery, as he will have to try to make up for the time lost during Spring Training. Carroll has participated in other baseball activities, so he won’t be starting from scratch once he’s fully cleared. The question then becomes how many Cactus League games Carroll can play before March 26, and how many will he need before he feels properly prepared for the regular season.
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