Potential season-altering injury for Giants division rival could upend Wild Card race

The SF Giants are probably not going to win the National League West this year. However, whoever gets second place in the division could have a pretty good chance at being a Wild Card team which is why the latest injury news from the Arizona Diamondbacks could matter quite a bit.

D-backs starting pitcher Merrill Kelly injured his back and the team is now awaiting MRI results for the veteran. The results could come back and it may not be a major issue, but if it does end up being a long-term thing that could have ramifications for the division.

SF Giants division rival's injury news could be big

The D-backs and San Diego Padres are the two teams the Giants really have to be thinking about this season. If they can have a better record than both of those squads then that would put the Giants in a good spot to snag a playoff spot.

It will not be easy as the Giants have been stuck in a rut of mediocrity for years, but maybe this is the season they can break through and finally get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Kelly is a solid pitcher and he has seemingly always had good starts against the Giants in his career. He spent 2019 to 2025 with Arizona and put up solid numbers but then the D-Backs traded him to the Texas Rangers at the deadline.

His time away from Arizona was not long as he re-signed with the team in the offseason. The Giants were thought of as a logical destination for Kelly, but he ended up going back to a place he is very familiar with.

Arizona needs its rotation to remain healthy because they will not get Corbin Burnes back until the All-Star break after he underwent Tommy John surgery last year. Zac Gallen ultimately signed with the D-backs after testing free agency but the team has to hope he bounces back from a rough 2025 campaign. Gallen was also seen as a potential target for the Giants.

Kelly's injury may seem like a minor thing, but Arizona and San Francisco were separated by just one game in the standings last year. Every single game matters so if Kelly has to miss the first month of the season that could make all the difference in what figures to be a very tight Wild Card race just like it was last season.