Diamondbacks Acknowledge Merrill Kelly Was Tipping Pitches to Cubs

The Diamondbacks have acknowledged that starter Merrill Kelly was tipping his pitches — and that Cubs third-base coach Quintin Berry was the one who caught it, per Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale).

Per the report, Berry's actions were entirely within the rules, as he remained in the coaches box throughout. There is nothing illegal about a coach reading a pitcher's delivery and relaying that information to hitters. It is, in fact, one of the older and more quietly respected arts in the game.

What this means for Arizona

The acknowledgment itself is notable. Pitch-tipping episodes are rarely addressed publicly — teams tend to quietly fix the mechanical tell and move on. That Arizona addressed it openly suggests the issue was visible enough that denial wasn't a viable option.

For a rotation already navigating significant turbulence — Michael Soroka was placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, and the club has been mixing and matching starters through a busy stretch — Kelly's reliability matters more than usual. A tipping issue, once identified, is correctable, but the timing adds another variable to an already unsettled pitching staff.

What remains unconfirmed

Nightengale's report does not specify which game the tipping occurred in, what the mechanical tell was, or whether it has since been addressed. No timetable or fix has been described in the material.