The Arizona Diamondbacks may be getting closer to a major boost, but the timeline on Corbin Burnes still sounds aggressive.
Burnes, the right-hander the D-backs signed to a six-year, $210 million deal after his standout 2024 season with the Baltimore Orioles, is recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in June 2025. He made only 11 starts in an Arizona uniform before the injury shut him down for the rest of last season and kept him out through this point in 2026.
There is at least real movement now. Burnes has started throwing off a mound, and he told reporters he expects to be back before the end of August, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
That would be a quick turnaround, and Gonzalez didn’t exactly frame it as a sure thing.
"That might be overly optimistic," Gonzalez added. "But he is trending toward a rehab assignment, which is a very positive sign for a D-backs rotation that is also without Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka and Ryne Nelson."
Even if Burnes isn’t at full strength right away, Arizona knows what kind of arm it has waiting in the wings. The four-time All-Star was excellent in 2024, putting up a 2.92 ERA while allowing just 7.6 hits per nine innings across 32 starts.
For the Diamondbacks, getting that caliber of starter back would change the look of the rotation in a hurry. And if Burnes can make it back in time for a postseason push, Arizona suddenly gets a lot more dangerous.
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