Merrill Kelly has cramping issues resurface vs. Dodgers

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly signaled to the dugout with two outs in the sixth inning after giving up a RBI single on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, asking to be taken out of the game.

The team later confirmed it was due to cramping in Kelly’s right leg, making this the fourth straight season the issues have flared up.

Kelly to that point had thrown 80 pitches in 5.2 innings, giving up just one earned run on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Kelly from 2023-25 with the D-backs had to exit six outings over a 21-month period due to cramping. Arizona’s heat and how warm Chase Field can get during the peak summer temperatures were presumed to be the main culprits, but Kelly has even had the issues pop up on the road early in 2025 in cooler climates.

Kelly had the same issues in Texas after he was traded. He was pulled from a start in August of 2025 for the Rangers due to cramping. They hadn’t come up yet in 2026, prior to Friday.

The cramps have not necessarily led to trips to the injured list, or in some cases, for Kelly to even miss a start. But with the D-backs in the midst of a playoff race for a wild card spot and already having three members of the rotation on the injured list, any more issues for Kelly would have terrible timing.

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