Corbin Burnes (shoulder) to make rehab start

All of the runs came on third-inning homers from Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones. Burnes averaged 92.7 and 92.5 mph with his cutter in his first two starts back from Tommy John, but he was at 90.9 mph today. With the D-backs likely to be eliminated soon, Burnes might be shut down ahead of his scheduled weekend start against the Padres.

Gallen was just mopping up, but he did okay in that role, allowing only two hard-hit balls and striking out two. It was Gallen’s first ever relief appearance after 196 starts as a major leaguer. He might get a start next week if the D-backs fall out of the Wild Card race, a scenario which seems unfortunately likely at the moment.

Making his second start since Tommy John, Burnes allowed three runs in the second and then back-to-back homers to Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja in the fourth before eventually departing down 5-4. His cutter was a pretty steady 93 mph early in the game, but it fell off to 91.5 mph in the fourth and fifth. If the regular season were extended by a month, Burnes might be a viable mixed-league starter in October, but the only way we’d know for sure is if the D-backs advance. Burnes should face the Yankees on Sunday.

Lovullo also noted that veteran right-hander Zac Gallen will be moved to the team’s bullpen to free up a spot in the rotation for Soroka. The 29-year-old hurler has pitched well in 19 appearances (18 starts) this season, posting a 3.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 95/25 K/BB ratio over 99 1/3 innings of work.

Gallen pitched fine here given the circumstances, he just wasn’t particularly on point. He heavily leaned into his slider given that it was the only pitch he could confidently command in the zone which helped him stay away from his fastball. That pitch has gotten crushed all season and came in two ticks slower than its average velocity, so it made sense that he shied away from it. The only earned run he let up came via a long home run to Carter Jensen on a slider that hung, which is the game a pitcher plays when they’re so in-zone-slider dependent. Similar to Corbin Burnes yesterday, Gallen returned after throwing one short rehab outing at Triple-A followed by about a 50 pitches appearance in a Bridge League game last week. He’s lined up for what’s likely to be another abbreviated outing at home against the Marlins next week.

Gallen will start against the Royals on Wednesday after missing two months with elbow inflammation. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his one rehab start with Triple-A Reno. He’s 3-9 with a 6.34 ERA in 19 starts for the Diamondbacks this season.

Burnes gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two. He threw 57 pitches in what was his first start since June of last year. After throwing 53 pitches in his final minor rehab start, it would’ve been nice to see him throw more on Tuesday. Still only 31-years-old and with an excellent track record, Burnes is difficult to completely trust in fantasy leagues until he’s able to work deeper into games. He’s lined up to face the Marlins at home next week.

Burnes takes the ball against the Royals for his first start since June 1, 2025. The 31-year-old’s likely midseason return from last year’s Tommy John surgery was delayed by a teres major muscle strain. The 31-year-old former fantasy ace is probably going to be on a pitch count in his return to the majors, but he threw 53 pitches in his final minor league rehab outing, so it shouldn’t be overly restrictive. It’s challenging to trust Burnes right away in shallow mixed leagues, but his lengthy track record suggests that he’s a worthwhile option in deeper fantasy leagues.

It’s happening. Burnes will make his long-awaited return to Arizona’s rotation after missing most of the last two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old former fantasy ace shouldn’t have any significant workload restrictions since he threw 53 pitches in his final rehab outing in the minors last week. It would be surprising if Burnes provided a massive fantasy impact given how much time he’s missed, but he’s capable of helping out in deeper mixed leagues. It’s a nice matchup right out of the gate against a Kansas City lineup that ranks 21st in runs scored this season.

Burnes, who reportedly hit 93 mph during this latest session, has continued steadily increasing his pitch count after making a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Reno last weekend. The 31-year-old is roughly 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery and a teres major muscle strain that cropped up during his rehabilitation process. There’s a chance he returns to the majors to take the ball at some point during Arizona’s three-game series against the Royals next week. There should be additional clarity on his next steps before the end of the weekend. Simply put, he’s close. Given his track record, Burnes is worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.