Diamondbacks Make the Corbin Burnes Move Fans Have Been Waiting For

The Arizona Diamondbacks and their fans have been waiting for the return of injured ace Corbin Burnes for a long, long time.

The waiting is finally over.

As expected, and as had been previously reported, the Diamondbacks have officially activated Burnes from the 60-day Injured List. He will get his first start since June 1 of 2025 on Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals.

To clear room on their expanded 28-man active roster, struggling right-hander Gerardo Carrillo has been optioned down to Triple-A Reno, after a brutal 10th-inning appearance against the Royals Monday afternoon.

The Diamondbacks have also recalled RHP Kade Strowd from Triple-A and optioned RHP Jose Cabrera.

Corbin Burnes officially makes return to Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes (39) pitches against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 1, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Burnes, on year two of his franchise record six-year, $210 million contract, has only made 11 starts as a member of the Diamondbacks, though he did post a 2.66 ERA in those starts before going down with his elbow injury.

But he's since been forced to miss the majority of those first two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Though he initially had intended to make his return around the time of the All-Star Break, Burnes suffered a shoulder injury during his rehab that pushed that timeline well back into September.

Burnes has made just one official rehab start for an affiliate club, pitching two scoreless innings on 17 pitches for the Reno Aces. His trademark cutter was effective, but sat in the low-90s after averaging between 94 and 96 MPH over his past several seasons.

Burnes is not likely to pitch extremely deep into Tuesday's game. He should be limited to around four innings, and about 60-65 pitches.

The protocols for his pitch and inning limits will likely be strict for his first handful of starts. After another bullpen game Monday, Arizona's options will be somewhat limited, though they could get multiple innings out of lefty Blake Walston if needed to bridge to the back end.

The Diamondbacks are also awaiting the return of right-handers Zac Gallen and Michael Soroka, both of whom were reportedly present with the club on Monday.

Diamondbacks option Gerardo Carrillo

Aug 29, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Gerardo Carrillo (68) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carrillo has been one of the more intriguing arms in Arizona's bullpen this season. He made a handful of electric-looking appearances in his first taste of MLB action, but has since fallen into a slump.

The 27-year-old's stuff is undeniable. A high-90s fastball and a sharp splitter certainly afford him plenty of swing-and-miss, but he's had a difficult time commanding it lately.

He was given the 10th inning of Monday's game with a 5-0 lead and watched that lead diminish all the way to 5-4 before he was eventually pulled with just one out.

Carrillo has walked 12 batters and hit one in his past eight appearances, with seven earned runs. He may still be a future weapon for the Diamondbacks, but he'll have to hone his command, first

Diamondbacks recall Strowd, option Cabrera

Feb 22, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Kade Strowd (24) delivers to the plate in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This will be Strowd's third stint on the Diamondbacks' big league roster. He has onlly made one major league appearance this season, in which he walked three batters, gave up a run and exited alongside a trainer with something resembling "dead arm."

Strowd has pitched to a 6.07 ERA for the Reno Aces in 42 appearances.

Cabrera, meanwhile, has been one of Arizona's fill-in starters. But both of his recent appearances have come in relief, pithing two to three innings at a time. He has a 4.33 ERA this season, but did not give up a run in either relief outing.

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