SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Robbie Ray's next action this spring will come in a “B” game against a Japanese college team, Keio University, on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. MST on Field 1 at Salt River Fields.

The D-backs play the Dodgers that day in Glendale and teams at times try to keep their pitchers from facing teams they will have to see multiple times during the season.

The D-backs and Dodgers play each other 19 times this year and Ray faced them five times in both 2019 and '17. During an injury-shortened '18 he faced them twice.

It’s impossible to keep all of their starters away from National League West opponents because all of them play in the Cactus League.

That was different
D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly pitched after starter Luke Weaver on Wednesday against the A’s, marking the first time he had thrown in relief since he pitched in Korea.

Kelly, who pitched in Korea from 2015-18 before signing as a free agent with the D-backs, made 32 starts for Arizona in 2019. His last relief appearance in Korea was in 2015.

“Weird, definitely,” Kelly said of pitching in relief. “The timing of it all I’m still not sure about. I think I was a little premature on playing the long-toss and getting on the mound for the first time. Especially with the game going a little unexpected there in the early goings, it kind of threw everything off. I got up a couple times just to make sure that I was ready. But it was definitely kind of a jumble-fest for me, for sure.”

Kelly is a candidate for the rotation, but whether or not there is a spot open for him seems uncertain. He can’t be sent to the Minors without his permission, so if he doesn’t make the rotation, he will likely be in the bullpen.

Should that happen, he plans to get some advice from closer Archie Bradley, who has made a successful transition from starter to bullpen arm over the past few seasons.

Speaking of starting and relieving
The D-backs have a lot of starting pitchers in camp, so finding innings for them all is a challenge. That’s why Kelly pitched after Weaver, and Arizona manager Torey Lovullo doesn’t want the pitchers to read too much into that and think they’re ticketed for the bullpen.

“I don’t want anybody to get the mindset that they’re heading down a certain road when it’s probably not the case,” Lovullo said. "That’s not the case with [Kelly], but I don’t want it to appear that way for him either, so I’ll make sure I finish that up with him. I don’t know what we’re going to do in the future, but they’re all going to get their innings and get stretched out.”

Up next
Left-hander Alex Young, who was supposed to start the Cactus League opener last Saturday which was rained out, will take the ball Friday afternoon against the Mariners at Salt River Fields. Young managed to get his work in last Saturday by throwing in the covered batting tunnel, but this will be his first game action.