Merrill Kelly’s 2024 season started well, with a 2-0 record and a 2.19 ERA after four starts, so it was a surprise when reports surfaced on April 21 that Kelly was dealing with shoulder soreness.

It turns out he injured his big torso and went on the injured list. Not long after, he was placed on the 60-day IL. Now, three and a half months later, he’s finally set to return.

Kelly threw a 4+ inning, 62-pitch rehab appearance with the Hillsboro Hops. Torey Lovullo was encouraged by the performance. “He did exactly what we wanted him to do. So his next appearance will be somewhere in the 75-80 pitch range. He’ll throw a bullpen here (at Chase Field) tomorrow.”

The D-backs’ starter for Sunday is currently listed as TBA, but Lovullo left little doubt that Kelly will start.

“You can read between the lines. You get to a certain number of pitches. I told you, if it goes beyond three innings (in rehab games), it gets serious. We like it to get into the 80-pitch range. We throw in the range if we’ve been to that point before, so stay tuned.”

Sunday will not be a soft landing for Kelly as he faces a strong Phillies lineup. Kelly emerged victorious from Game 6 of the NLCS last year, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out eight in the D-backs’ 5-1 victory.