Fifteen months, then a start that counts
Corbin Burnes pitches tonight. Arizona confirmed this morning that the right-hander will start against the Royals in Kansas City, his first major league appearance since June 1, 2025, the day his elbow gave out and sent him into Tommy John surgery.
“I’m ready,” Burnes said. “We’ll see what happens.”
He made 11 starts for the Diamondbacks last season before the injury, the first 11 of a six-year, $210 million contract signed ahead of 2025. Arizona has waited 15 months for the next one. The wait was supposed to end around the All-Star break this summer, then a strain of the right teres major muscle in early June pushed the timeline back again.
“When we got the news that it was gonna be a little longer, I think it was initially tough, and then you start getting back into it, and you kind of start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Burnes said. “Which is good, but it’s been tough.”
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He walks straight into a race
The timing suits Arizona. The Diamondbacks sit at 77-68 and hold a half-game lead over San Diego for the third and final National League wild-card spot. Three weeks of schedule remain. A four-time All-Star who won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award with Milwaukee arrives in the middle of it.
Burnes has handled the Royals before. Five regular-season starts against Kansas City, three wins, a 2.15 ERA, 32 strikeouts and six walks over 29 1/3 innings.
His fastball touched 93 mph in a rehab start at Triple-A Reno on Thursday, short of where it used to sit. He brushed that aside. “I’ve got to make sure I’m at a point where I can get outs in the big leagues. Not necessarily put up numbers on the radar.”
Wacha waits on the other side
Kansas City counters with Michael Wacha, 9-8 with a 3.36 ERA and nine consecutive starts lasting into the sixth inning. He beat Miami 7-3 last Thursday, conceding three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. In 10 career starts against Arizona he is 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA.
The Royals are 64-81 and out of the picture, though Monday showed they will not roll over. Arizona put up five runs in the tenth, Kansas City answered with four, and Nick Loftin struck out looking with the tying run at the plate.
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