Merritt has been confirmed as Friday's starter against the Royals, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.
Danny Salazar was placed on the DL with elbow inflammation, and Merritt is on the 40-man roster and has not pitched since Aug. 17, so he made for a natural spot starter. Josh Tomlin (hamstring) is expected to slot back into the rotation next week, so Merritt's time in the rotation could be limited to one start. He has a 3.12 ERA and just three strikeouts in 8.2 innings in the big leagues this season, while notching a 3.03 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 116 innings at Triple-A.