April 24, 2024 9:25 AM : Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said after Tuesday's 14-1 win over the Cardinals that he expects Kelly (shoulder) to miss at least one month after landing on the 15-day injured list, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. "We're not looking in terms of weeks as what we had hoped for," Lovullo said of Kelly's timetable for a return from a teres major strain in his right shoulder. "So I think the next step up is a month, more than that."
Analysis: Kelly had rolled to a 2-0 record, 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 24.2 innings through his first four starts of the season before he was scratched ahead of his most recent turn in the rotation this past Sunday against the Giants upon experiencing shoulder discomfort during a throwing session. He was sent in for two MRIs in recent days, and although both confirmed that Kelly had sustained a teres major strain, Lovullo noted that the Diamondbacks don't yet know if the strain is of the Grade 1, 2 or 3 variety. Lovullo added that Kelly will receive "a couple other opinions" on his injury before a firmer timeline and a treatment method is established, but the skipper said that the right-hander won't need surgery even while the "concern [level] is yet to be determined." In any case, Kelly's fantasy managers can probably feel comfortable ruling him out for all of May, and it could be difficult to justify stashing the 35-year-old if his timeline for a return ultimately gets pushed back further.