Drey Jameson to miss significant time with elbow injury, D-backs to get 2nd opinion

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks and their bullpen are potentially preparing for the worst regarding RHP Drey Jameson and the elbow injury sustained on Thursday.

Jameson was placed on the 60-day IL on Saturday morning with right elbow inflammation, something manager Torey Lovullo said will keep him out “more than a couple of weeks.” He was initially placed on the 15-day IL just 24 hours prior.

“We are continuing to gather information. We are getting second opinions,” Lovullo told reporters pregame Saturday.

“He is on the IL and we are talking more than a couple of weeks. … There is stuff there that needs to be looked at, and thoroughly looked at before we can make a firm judgment. There is something in there, something is going on.”

Lovullo mentioned they are looking at the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). That is the ligament that is repaired during infamous Tommy John Surgery.

Jameson was attended to mid-game on Thursday by a trainer, Lovullo and pitching coach Brent Strom in a blowout loss to the Mets.

Lovullo made the decision to keep Jameson in the contest and left him out there to throw 12 more pitches.

After the game, the skipper said that Jameson had a cramp in his wrist, something he had before. Lovullo was told by his staff the additional 12 pitches thrown in Thursday’s game did not play into the righty’s injury.

“The damage had already been done.”

The team has put Jameson in an unusual situation this year, moving him back and forth from starting to the bullpen multiple times.

“Under my watch, someone had something go wrong with their arm. I need to better because I don’t like it,” Lovullo said. “We ask a lot of him. We asked him to start and get stretched out.We put him a bullpen situation where he made the team, then we asked him to start again.

“The indicators were that he would be fine. We are trying to piece together where it went wrong. … Maybe the starter not starter situation is something we have to look at long and hard.”

Merrill Kelly close to return

The team got some good news regarding starter Merrill Kelly and the blood clot in calf.

He will throw a 60-pitch simulated game on Sunday, either three or four innings. He also threw a 26-pitch bullpen this week.

“Everything is trending in a a very positive direction with him. The indicators are all very, very positive,” Lovullo said.

The team plans to get him on a real rehab assignment once he is ready.

The D-backs take on the Pirates at 1:10 p.m. in the penultimate game before the All-Star break. Catch all the action on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com.