Diamondbacks Officially Confirm Reports About Corbin Burnes' Return

It's been the Arizona Diamondbacks' worst-kept secret for a little while, but the confirmation fans have been waiting for regarding the return of injured ace Corbin Burnes was finally given.

Torey Lovullo, speaking to D-backs.TV's Todd Walsh on the postgame broadcast, confirmed that Burnes would be Arizona's starter for their game two matchup with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Tuesday evening.

Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes to make return debut Tuesday

May 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burnes has not thrown a pitch at the major league level since June 1 of 2025. It was in that fateful game — a win over the Washington Nationals — that he suffered the first serious elbow injury of his career.

That, obviously, required him to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss over a year's worth of action. He had initially been on an extremely aggressive rehab timeline, gunning for a chance at a return somewhere around the time of the All-Star Break. But he suffered a setback in the form of a Teres Major strain to his shoulder, which shut him down and pushed that timeline well back into September.

Burnes' velocity has not quite been what he's used to averaging, sitting in the low-90s, but his lone appearance in an affiliate rehab game saw him pitch two very efficient clean innings. There may not be a great deal of swing-and-miss right away.

Now, with the postseason chase in full effect, the Diamondbacks are slowly getting some of their key arms back. Right-hander Zac Gallen, who was also in the dugout in Kansas City on Monday, seems likely to pitch in this series, as well — as is Michael Soroka.

The exact plan for Burnes is not entirely clear as of this writing. Considering the lengthy shutdown and the lack of complete ramp-up period for the ace, he will likely be on a very strict pitch (and inning) limit.

Barring unforeseen levels of efficiency, it would be a surprise to see Burnes go much deeper than around four innings. He is certainly not built up enough for a six-plus inning start.

So the Diamondbacks, who went with a bullpen game to win on Monday afternoon, will have to get creative in order to find enough innings coverage once Burnes does ultimately exit the game.

Regardless, Arizona will have an opportunity to win their second-straight series on Tuesday against a Royals club that has struggled for most of the year.

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