D-backs' Merrill Kelly looks to get off on right foot vs. Cubs

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly will oppose Chicago Cubs rightie Jameson Taillon in the second contest of a four-game series in Phoenix on Friday.

Each will be making his first start of the season, although Taillon did get some work overseas in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo. The Cubs opened their regular season with a pair of losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicago won the first game of this series, 10-6, on Thursday.

Kelly is looking to rebound from an injury-shortened 2024 season. He was 5-1 but made only 13 starts because of a right teres major muscle injury that kept him out from April 15 to Aug. 11.

"His stuff came out super hot," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said of Kelly's spring work, when he had 16 strikeouts in five appearances covering 15 1/3 innings.

Kelly won 25 games as the No. 2 starter behind Zac Gallen in 2022-23 and was an integral part of the D-backs' trip to the 2023 World Series.

"He's always a hard worker," Lovullo said. "I think last year was a little bit different because he threw a ton of innings, with the WBC (World Baseball Classic), the World Series. He had a lot of mileage on his body. His stuff came out good, but it wasn't as crisp as I had seen it.

"Understandably so. He's worked hard to make good moments happen."

Kelly is 2-1 with a 3.78 ERA in six career meetings with the Cubs.

The Cubs welcomed the return Thursday of second baseman Nico Hoerner, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI single and made a nice defensive play to take a hit away from Randal Grichuk in the second inning. Hoerner missed the season-opening two-game series in Japan while recovering from offseason forearm surgery.

"It's great to have him back," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "It's great to write his name in the lineup."

Taillon, 12-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 28 starts a year ago, made his final spring tuneup in Tokyo, where he gave up one run and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings in the Cubs' 4-2 victory.

Taillon is 1-1 in three career starts against Arizona.

Counsell pointed to his team's athleticism before the game, and that was borne out. In addition to Horner's nice defensive play, Pete Crow-Armstrong, running from first base, beat out a routine grounder to keep a critical fifth inning alive and load the bases. Miguel Amaya followed with a three-run double for a 7-3 lead.

"That's been a big part of talk this spring, making base-running a part of this team's identity," Crow-Armstrong said.

Amaya capped a five-RBI game with a two-run double in the ninth.

Both teams made roster changes before the opener. The Cubs placed infielder Vidal Brujan and right-handers Ryan Brasier and Tyson Miller on the injured list. Brasier aggravated a left groin injury while covering first base in the first game of the Tokyo Series on March 18.

Rule 5 pick infielder Gage Workman and non-roster invitee right-hander Brad Keller made the roster.

The Diamondbacks added non-roster invitee right-hander Shelby Miller and left-hander Jalen Beeks. Miller took the roster spot available when Jordan Montgomery was placed on the 60-day disabled list. He is to undergo ligament replacement surgery.

-Field Level Media