Corbin Burnes is set to take a big-league mound tonight for the first time since June 2025, with a return start against the Royals. That comes after a Monday slate that gave us a little bit of everything: a dominant Phillies gem, a wild extra-inning swing in Kansas City, and Aaron Judge’s long-awaited return to the Yankees.
Jesus Luzardo put together the kind of night that can carry a team for a week. The Phillies left-hander threw a complete-game shutout against the Braves, struck out 12, and allowed only three baserunners in one of the best outings of his career.
For a while, it looked like he might get nothing for it. The game was scoreless through seven innings, and he was staring at a tough-luck no-decision until Kyle Schwarber broke through with a two-out, go-ahead solo homer off Didier Fuentes in the eighth.
That was enough. Philadelphia came away with a series split and stayed four games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
The two clubs will see each other again later this week.
In Kansas City, the Royals and Diamondbacks spent nine innings going nowhere before the game suddenly exploded. Arizona broke the deadlock with five runs in the top of the 10th, and the rally came against Craig Kimbrel, who had not given up an earned run since joining the Royals.
By the end of it, the veteran closer was tagged for four earned runs and took the loss. Kansas City did make a push in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs of its own.
Salvador Perez delivered a bases-clearing double to pull the Royals within one and bring the tying run into scoring position, but Dennis Santana finished it off by getting the last two outs and locking down the win.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are getting a major bat back. Aaron Judge was activated from the 60-day IL yesterday and is expected to be in the lineup against the Rockies tonight.
He has been sidelined since the final day of May with a rib injury. Before the injury, Judge had put up a .907 OPS in 59 games.
Since he went down, New York’s offense has fallen flat, ranking 28th in wOBA and 29th in wRC+ as a team since the beginning of June. Only the Guardians, Angels, and Mariners have scored fewer runs over that stretch.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Face A Brutal Late Wild Card Test Against San Diego
The late National League Wild Card race is still hanging around Arizona, but the view from ESPNs MLB experts is not especially encouraging for the Diamondbacks. In their latest round of predictions, the panel backed San Diego to claim the final playoff spot, a nod to a Padres roster that still looks stronger in the places that usually matter most when October is on the line.
Jorge Castillo pointed to the Padres offense and bullpen as the edge, even with San Diego going through its own rough patch at the plate and carrying questions in the rotation. With Mason Miller giving the back end a late-inning lift and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado still anchoring the lineup, the Padres have enough recognizable firepower to make Arizonas margin for error feel awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Face A Tough Lineup Test Without Corbin Carroll
The Diamondbacks are taking a different route on Monday, turning to a bullpen game against the Royals in an 11:10 a.m. first pitch as they try to navigate the matchup without Corbin Carroll in the lineup. Derek Law will get the ball as the opener, with Jose Cabrera lined up to handle the bulk innings, a setup that asks Arizona to piece together the afternoon from the start against a Kansas City club ready to post its own lineup.
There is at least one familiar face back in the mix for Arizona, with Geraldo Perdomo returning after what happened in the previous game, adding a little stability to a lineup that will already look different without Carroll resting. The early start and the pitching plan make this a tricky test for the Diamondbacks, and it puts extra pressure on the group to keep the game in reach while the bullpen works through the day. [Read more 🡒]