Speaking at a Q&A event on Friday (hat tip to Arizona Sports), Kelly said that “in my mind, I’m hoping I’m on that Tampa, Miami, Boston trip,” referring to a nine-game Diamondbacks road trip that starts on Aug. 16.  “That seems to be around the right time I might be back in there.  But obviously things can change as we go along.”

There is obviously still a lot of fluidity within this rehab plan, and the fact that Kelly’s initial estimated return date has already been significantly pushed back isn’t a great sign.  As Kelly noted, he and the team first thought he could be back around the All-Star break — if mid-August now represents perhaps something of a best-case scenario, any kind of setback could quite possibly put his season in jeopardy.  There is still a long way to go in Kelly’s ramp-up process, as he only just started a throwing program with games of catch.

The D’Backs have a modest 38-40 record in the defense of their National League pennant, yet the NL’s parity has kept Arizona within two games of the last wild card spot.  Considering that the Snakes have been without Kelly for most of the season, Eduardo Rodriguez for the entire season, and Zac Gallen for a little more than three weeks, a 38-40 record isn’t a bad result for a team missing its three top starters.

Gallen could potentially return next week, and Rodriguez has started his own throwing progression after his long layoff, so he might be facing a similar timeline as Kelly.  If Arizona can continue to at least tread water in the playoff race until mid-August, getting Kelly and Rodriguez back into the rotation would provide an enormous boost down the stretch.

Kelly also discussed his longer-term career future as part of the Q&A, saying “I don’t want to go anywhere.  [Arizona] is home for me, I want to be here as long as I can.”  Kelly also revealed that he had spoken with the Diamondbacks about a possible contract extension, though didn’t give any details on the status of those talks or if the D’Backs had shown any reciprocal interest.

It would be understandable if the D’Backs first wanted to see how Kelly emerge from this long injury layoff before considering a new contract, plus Kelly is already under team control for the 2025 season via a $7M club option.  Since a $1M buyout is attached to that option, that the $6M decision seems like a pretty easy one for the Diamondbacks to make even despite Kelly’s shoulder problems, considering how well he has pitched over his six seasons in Arizona.

Kelly didn’t make his MLB debut until he was 30 years old, as he started his pro career in the Rays’ farm system before pitching in South Korea for four seasons.  Impressed by Kelly’s KBO League performance, the D’Backs signed him to a two-year, $5.5M free-agent deal in December 2018, in a decision that will go down as one of GM Mike Hazen’s shrewdest moves.  Kelly has already signed one extension with the Diamondbacks, agreeing to his current two-year, $18M contract in April 2022.