Arizona Diamondbacks veteran right-hander Merrill Kelly must stabilize his erratic season to anchor the rotation and secure a critical postseason push.
Merrill Kelly has struggled to find consistency this season after returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks following a stint with the Texas Rangers last year.
The veteran right-hander has gone through stretches where he has looked like the dependable starter Arizona remembers, followed by periods in which that consistency has disappeared.
A tale of two months
July represented one of his strongest stretches.
Kelly posted a 1.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 27.2 innings over five starts, giving the Diamondbacks the type of steady rotation presence they expected when he returned.
Last month brought a much different result.
Kelly went 1-3 with a 5.85 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 32.1 innings across six starts, once again highlighting the inconsistency that has followed him throughout the season.
Saturday, however, offered a reminder of what Kelly can still provide when everything comes together.
Facing the San Francisco Giants on the road, he delivered seven scoreless innings while surrendering only two hits. Kelly struck out seven and walked four as Arizona earned a 7-1 victory.
Kelly is 9-12 with a 5.08 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 141.2 innings across 25 starts this season.
Those numbers reflect how unpredictable his season has been.
The most frustrating aspect for Arizona is that Kelly has traditionally built his reputation around reliability rather than overpowering dominance.
He has never needed to perform like a top-end No. 1 starter to be valuable.
What the Diamondbacks need is the version capable of keeping games under control, working deep enough to protect the bullpen and providing stability every time his turn arrives.
That has not happened consistently enough this year.
Arizona desperately needs that from him, with starters like Corbin Burnes and Michael Soroka out indefinitely.
Kelly’s value
Kelly’s strengths have always centered on preparation, command and understanding how to navigate a lineup.
He does not need to overwhelm hitters with pure velocity because he knows how to change speeds, alter eye levels and use sequencing to prevent opponents from sitting comfortably on one pitch.
His experience also gives him the ability to recognize what is working during an outing and adjust his plan accordingly.
That becomes particularly important when his best command is not available.
Kelly has also built a reputation as a durable competitor who is comfortable carrying responsibility within a rotation.
He understands how to manage difficult innings without allowing one mistake to completely unravel an outing.
Saturday showed that quality again.
Even with four walks, Kelly continued making pitches when necessary and prevented San Francisco from turning baserunners into damage.
Arizona does not need him to suddenly become something he has never been.
The Diamondbacks simply need Kelly to rediscover the dependable version of himself that can give them a legitimate chance every fifth day.
Saturday was an encouraging example.
The challenge is making performances like that far less occasional.
