Diamondbacks Make a New Roster Move As Brandon Pfaadt Returns

Arizona's righty is back.

Jun 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It isn't much of a surprise, but the Arizona Diamondbacks have made a pitching roster move on Tuesday afternoon.

As expected, and as had been confirmed by manager Torey Lovullo following Monday night's win over the San Francisco Giants, right-hander Brandon Pfaadt has been recalled from Triple-A Reno, and will start for Arizona on Tuesday night against the Giants.

Pfaadt, of course, needed a spot on the 26-man roster; he is already on the 40-man roster, so no DFA or IL transfer was necessary. As a result, right-handed reliever Juan Burgos was the one sent back down to Triple-A, optioned following Monday night's game.

Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt makes return to majors

Apr 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) during the first inning at Chase Field against the Atlanta Braves. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's been a tough year for Pfaadt, who has an ugly 5.92 ERA so far in the 2026 season. He began the year as a lock for the Diamondbacks' starting rotation, but struggled so heavily in his first handful of starts that the team made the decision to transition him into a reliever.

That conversion did not go well. Pfaadt displayed similar issues, and ended up posting nearly-identical ERAs — both bordering on 6.00 — as a starting pitcher, long reliever and short reliever.

So when the news broke that Corbin Burnes had suffered a setback in his rehab, Arizona opted to get Pfaadt starter reps once again, sending him down to Triple-A to get stretched back out. Subsequent injuries to both Ryne Nelson (elbow strain) and Michael Soroka (glute strain) have necessitated Pfaadt's return to the major league rotation, perhaps a bit earlier than initially expected.

Pfaadt pitched to a 1.80 ERA in three starts for the Reno Aces, though he did not pitch deeper than 3.2 innings in any of those starts. He will likely be limited to a shorter outing, possibly around 65 pitches or five innings at a maximum, depending on efficiency.

Diamondbacks option Juan Burgos

Jun 26, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Juan Burgos (52) delivers a pitch during the seventh inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burgos was a part of the trade that sent Eugenio Suarez back to Seattle at the 2025 deadline, but he has yet to make an impact for the D-backs. He made just one appearance since his recent recall, throwing 1.1 innings and allowing one run against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 26.

Burgos' stuff is of the high-velocity, high-movement variety, but his command has not been exceptionally sharp.

There have been flashes of success, but he owns a career 6.14 ERA in the majors, and is pitching to a 6.59 ERA in Triple-A this year, which is strongly below average, even for the offense-heavy Reno environment.