Arizona Diamondbacks starting catcher Carson Kelly sustained a fractured forearm after getting hit by a pitch during an exhibition game Monday.
Manager Torey Lovullo confirmed the fracture to reporters Tuesday but would not give a timeline on Kelly’s return.
Kelly exited Monday’s game against the Chicago White Sox after getting hit by a Gregory Santos pitch in the fourth inning.
“I always hope for a miracle and that there’s going to be an unbelievable recovery,” Lovullo said Tuesday.
Gabriel Moreno, the 23-year-old catcher the Diamondbacks acquired in a trade with Toronto during the offseason, could now become their starter. He made his big league debut last season hitting .319 in 25 games for the Blue Jays.
The Diamondbacks also still have Jose Herrera, their backup last season, and P.J. Higgins in their spring training camp.
“We’ve got to have our conversation and just watch these guys play. So to me, there is no leg up. Everybody’s neutral,” Lovullo said. “We’re throwing everything back into the pool and we’re going to start to figure out what to do. We’ve got some really good options.”
Kelly was hitting .320 with a .934 OPS in 10 spring training games.
He came to Arizona in the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis in December 2018 and is batting .223 lifetime with 43 home runs in seven seasons.
Kelly was sidelined for six weeks in 2022 with a Grade 2 oblique injury. He also sustained a broken toe and fractured wrist that landed him on the injured list in 2021.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com