Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll emerged from his live batting practice session unscathed on Friday as he works his way back from a broken hamate bone. The two-time All-Star told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he’s nearing a return to Spring Training action. Carroll added that he wants to get into 10 spring games.
Carroll is still less than a month removed from his February 11 surgery. He’d certainly be on the early end of the typical timeline to return from the procedure if he returns to the field soon. Manager Torey Lovullo pushed back a bit on Carroll’s outlook. “I respect Corbin’s drive and determination, that’s what makes him great. But in this case, the medical team is still in control of what’s going on,” Lovullo told reporters, including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports.
If Carroll does get into Spring Training games, his power stroke will be something to watch. Hamate bone injuries tend to impact slugging, particularly early on. Carroll popped a career-high 31 home runs this past season. He boosted his hard-hit rate to 49.9%, exactly 9% higher than his previous best. Carroll more than doubled his barrel rate year-over-year, jumping from 7.2% in 2024 to 14.5% last year.
Merrill Kelly continues to make progress after a back issue threatened to place him on the IL to begin the 2026 campaign. The right-hander was scratched from a live batting practice session in late February and told reporters he was unlikely to be ready for the opener. His tone changed last weekend following a cortisone and lidocaine injection. He was able to play catch without issue, and recently came out of a bullpen session free of setbacks. Kelly is set for a live batting practice session on Sunday, Lovullo told reporters (h/t to Weiner again).
The injury set Kelly back a couple of weeks, but he’s now on track to break camp with the team and avoid the injured list. If Arizona slots him at the back of the rotation, his turn wouldn’t come up until March 31 against the Tigers. An off-day on March 29 could allow the Diamondbacks to push Kelly back even further, if they desired. Michael Soroka could step in as the fifth starter to give Kelly extra time to get ready.
Elsewhere in the division, Ty France is making a push to break camp with the Padres, notes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran infielder hit three balls at least 105 mph in Saturday’s Spring Training matchup against the Guardians. One went for a double, pushing France’s OPS to .944 this spring. “He needs to keep swinging like he did today,” manager Craig Stammen said. “If you can hit, we’ll find a place for you.”
Stammen added that the veteran would get more opportunities at second and third base. France has made a total of three appearances at second base over the past four big-league seasons. He hasn’t played the hot corner since 2022. The added defensive versatility would give him a leg up for a roster spot on a squad with several first base/DH options.
San Diego’s outfield is set with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano, which pushes Gavin Sheets to first base. That leaves France to battle with Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, and Jose Miranda for DH and potentially platoon work with the lefty-swinging Sheets. For his part, Miranda has matched France for the team lead in hits this spring at nine.
There could be another bench spot up for grabs depending on Sung-Mun Song’s recovery from an oblique injury. The former KBO standout dealt with a right oblique issue in the offseason, but came to camp healthy. He then felt renewed tightness in the oblique during a spring game on Thursday and had to be removed. Acee relayed that the team has been encouraged by Song’s progress since then. “They’re going to try to get him moving around here today,” Stammen said. “We’ll see when (he starts) swinging a bat.”
The club is hopeful Song will get back into Spring Training games at some point. A Cactus League appearance would put him on track to be ready for Opening Day. Stammen added that the outfield experiment is paused for now.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
