Merritt will begin the 2018 season on the disabled list due to a "tired arm," Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Manager Terry Francona also said that Merritt was battling a knee issue during the offseason, which followed him into spring training. Though that injury appears to be behind him, Merritt is set to miss an extended period of time with an arm issue. Francona did not provide a timetable so an expect an update on Merritt's status once he's able to resume throwing.