Diamondbacks' Latest Roster Move Sets Friday's Starter vs Giants

The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to shuffle their pitching staff with their latest roster move.

On Friday, ahead of their 7:15 p.m. scheduled matchup with the San Francisco Giants, the Diamondbacks have brought up their starting pitcher from Triple-A. Left-hander Kohl Drake has been recalled from Reno and will take the mound Friday night.

To make room for Drake on the 26-man roster, right-handed reliever Juan Burgos has been sent back down to Reno. Arizona's 40-man roster remains at 39.

Diamondbacks recall Kohl Drake to make start vs Giants

Aug 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Kohl Drake (58) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drake, part of the Merrill Kelly trade at the 2025 Deadline, will make his fifth start of the season for the Diamondbacks' major league club. It's been a mixed bag of results so far for the 26-year-old southpaw.

Drake looked extremely sharp in his major league debut, allowing one run over five innings. But in the ensuing four starts, he struggled with command and efficiency. Most recently, he lasted just 3.2 innings against the San Diego Padres while allowing three runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter.

As a result, Drake's ERA is a less-than-impressive 5.40 in a small sample size of just 16.2 innings. With a rotation crunch looming, the D-backs opted to keep fellow lefty Mitch Bratt up and send Drake back to Reno on August 7. Bratt was later optioned after further struggles of his own.

Since that transaction, Drake has made only two appearances for the Aces. They were not pretty. He allowed 10 runs (nine earned) over two short starts, walking nine in five total innings. His Triple-A RA is now 7.57 — an ugly number even for the offense-heavy Pacific Coast League.

Diamondbacks option Juan Burgos

Aug 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Juan Burgos (52) throws in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burgos has not exactly been a consistent weapon out of Arizona's bullpen, but he's performed well when called upon. He's been recalled and optioned three separate times in 2026 alone and has only managed to get into four games.

In those four games, Burgos has a 2.08 ERA, giving up just one earned run over 4.1 frames. It's a small sample size, and his 6.86 ERA for the Aces this season is well below average.

The 26-year-old right-hander was part of the Eugenio Suarez trade with the Seattle Mariners at the 2025 Deadline. He has yet to find his footing in the majors or minors for the Diamondbacks, but has at least been a relatively reliable depth option when Arizona needed an arm.

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