Diamondbacks player Merrill Kelly leaves the game against Rangers due to injury

PHOENIX – Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly left the mound with an undetermined injury during the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Chase Field.

Kelly stomped around the mound and shook out his right leg before making his way toward the dugout.

The veteran paced the dugout while reliever Slade Cecconi warmed up as Arizona led 8-2 with no outs in the fifth inning. It was not immediately clear what exactly Kelly’s illness was.

This time last season, Kelly was battling cramps while pitching at Chase Field, forcing him to end several starts early, but it’s unclear if that’s the cause of the current problem.

How did Merrill Kelly pitch before he was injured?

Kelly threw four innings with two earned runs on four hits until the fifth inning, which he began with a lead-off walk to Leody Taveras. He threw three pitches to Marcus Semien before being sidelined with an injury.

Cecconi allowed the runner to score on a balk, a stolen base, and an infield single after Cecconi failed to cover first base.

In his last start, Kelly threw seven frames with two earned runs against the San Francisco Giants.

Wednesday was his sixth start after returning from the 60-day injured list after missing more than three months with a strained teres major muscle.

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