The Arizona Diamondbacks got some tough news on their ace, Corbin Burnes. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the right-hander suffered a teres major injury and has stopped throwing. That puts his potential return to September, per manager Torey Lovullo.
The injury is a huge blow to the Diamondbacks, who are in the thick of National League Wild Card contention. Entering play on June 4, Arizona currently sports a 32-29 record and is just half a game back of the final Wild Card spot.
With the need to add more starting pitching depth, the club has optioned Brandon Pfaadt to the minors. The goal is to stretch him out in Triple-A Reno, to give them some coverage in the event of an injury.
Brandon Pfaadt Optioned to the Minors to Stretch Out as Starter
The Diamondbacks entered the season with six potential starter candidates. Brandon Pfaadt made the Opening Day rotation after Merrill Kelly suffered an intercostal nerve injury in Spring Training. When Kelly returned to the rotation, Pfaadt was demoted to the bullpen.
The move to the bullpen was always a temporary measure for Pfaadt, who inked a $45 million extension ahead of the 2025 season. Arizona hasn’t gotten its money’s worth out of the deal yet, but they envisioned the right-hander would be a key rotation arm. It should be no surprise that, as their starting depth has thinned, they’re moving him back to that role.
While Pfaadt threw 6.1 innings in his first outing in relief, his appearances have gotten shorter. The right-hander has recorded fewer than six outs in his last five appearances and thrown no more than 39 pitches.
It may be a lengthy process to get the right-hander back to a starter workload. His last appearance against the Dodgers was two up-downs and 39 pitches. With that in mind, it will take multiple turns through the rotation to work him up to 85-plus pitches in Reno. That puts a conservative timeline of Pfaadt returning to the rotation of late-June at the earliest.
Diamondbacks Starting Pitching Depth After Corbin Burnes’ Setback
Arizona is currently thin on starting pitching depth. They are down two starting pitchers for the foreseeable future with Corbin Burnes’ setback and Cristian Mena undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Their current starting five is Michael Soroka, Eduardo Rodriguez, Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, and Merrill Kelly.
The results from that starting five have been of the Jekyll and Hyde variety. Rodriguez and Soroka both sport an ERA under 3.50, while Gallen, Nelson, and Kelly are over 4.80. The inconsistent nature of the rotation is Arizona’s Achilles heel, and perhaps their biggest trade deadline need to address. However, a trade is unlikely before the end of July.
With both Mena and Burnes out for at least three months, it’s forced the Diamondbacks’ hand with their rotation. That serves as the main impetus to send Brandon Pfaadt and stretch him out. Considering that timeline, they are one rotation injury away from a disaster scenario.
Their minor league depth options include Dylan Ray, Kohl Drake, and Mitch Bratt. All three pitchers have yet to make their MLB debut and project as bottom-of-the-rotation starters at best.
Should the Diamondbacks’ rotation remain healthy, Nelson is the ideal candidate to send to the bullpen if they bring up Pfaadt. The right-hander averages 96.3 MPH on a high-carry four-seamer with so-so secondaries. As a reliever, he can focus on attacking hitters with his four-seamer and slider down the stretch, and possibly into the postseason should Arizona qualify.
Diamondbacks Announce Plan for $45 Million Pitcher Following Corbin Burnes Setback