Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly to match up in Diamondbacks-Rangers series

PHOENIX — It is not going to take very long for the Arizona Diamondbacks to see Merrill Kelly again, as Kelly is lined up to pitch against his former club on Wednesday for the Texas Rangers.

Better yet, Kelly’s longtime rotation mate, Zac Gallen, is also probable for Wednesday’s game in Arlington, creating a head-to-head matchup between friends who represented the Diamondbacks’ rotation for years.

Kelly signed with the Diamondbacks ahead of the 2019 season, and Gallen was acquired at that ensuing trade deadline. The two have never matched up as opponents, but Arizona dealing Kelly to Texas at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago set up this matchup.

“It’ll be fun,” Gallen told Arizona Sports. “I mean, I know as a pitcher, you’re more thinking about the lineup you’re facing. I’m wondering how weird it’ll be for our hitters to face Merrill. For us squaring off against each other, I don’t think of it as much in that sense. But still, it’d be fun, nonetheless.”

"I don't know how much I'm gonna like that," Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo said of seeing Merrill Kelly in another uniform.

Kelly and Zac Gallen are tracking to face each other on Wednesday.

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Gallen said he and Kelly are competitive people — they’ve competed on the golf course for years — but they don’t usually trash talk.

“We are inherently both pretty competitive people, but I wouldn’t say outwardly competitive,” Gallen said.

Kelly is third in franchise history with 953 innings pitched, a mainstay before the club traded him for three pitching prospects: Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman.

Gallen was heavily involved in trade rumors as the Diamondbacks elected to sell, but he stayed put. The two pitchers will become free agents after the season.

It was strange for Gallen returning to Chase Field without Kelly after the trade deadline. Seeing the nameless locker next to his was a moment when reality really kicked in.

They essentially were the D-backs’ starting rotation in 2023, and Brandon Pfaadt earned that third spot down the final stretch for the postseason. Kelly earned Arizona’s lone win during the World Series against Texas.

For Pfaadt and manager Torey Lovullo, watching Kelly and Gallen square off will be in some ways bizarre and in others intriguing.

“That’s gonna be pretty weird but kind of cool at the same time,” Pfaadt said. “Those guys, that’s all I’ve known. Ever since I debuted, those were the two guys I looked up to, two guys I watched every day. So being able to watch those two guys in one day is gonna be weird, but cool.”

“It’s gonna be odd seeing him in another uniform,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday. “I was extremely close with Merrill. …  Should be a really exciting time, but it is gonna be very awkward to see him in a different uniform.”

Kelly has made two starts for the Rangers so far.

He threw very well in his debut with 5.2 innings and two earned runs against Seattle. His last start against Philadelphia was not so effective, as he allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings.

“We faced couple times in live (batting practice),” shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said. “We’re gonna be ready for Merrill.”

Diamondbacks-Rangers probables

The series begins on Monday at 5:05 p.m. MST with Ryne Nelson (3.20 ERA) pitching for Arizona, while Texas will start right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1.38).

Tuesday’s pitching matchup is Anthony DeSclafani (4.20) for the D-backs versus Texas’ Jack Leiter (4.05).

Kelly is not the only former Diamondbacks player who will suit up for the Rangers, as designated hitter Joc Pederson (.535 OPS) signed with Texas last offseason.

The Diamondbacks enter the series coming off a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, while the Rangers were swept at home by Philadelphia and have lost four straight games.

The 2023 World Series foes split four games played last season.

Catch the series on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

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