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...
Royals Still Have One Unsettled Infield Spot After Latest Veteran Move
The Royals have trimmed another layer from their infield mix, releasing Brandon Drury after a quiet run in Triple-A. A former Silver Slugger and a 10-year big league veteran, Drury had signed a minor league deal with Kansas City over the offseason in hopes of carving out a role, but his latest stint never gained traction offensively.
For a club still sorting through the edges of its roster, the move leaves one more question hanging around the dirt work on the infield. Drury last played for the Angels in 2024, and his experience made him a logical depth option, but the Royals now have to decide how they want to fill that remaining spot as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone Injury Renews A Royals Fear They Can't Ignore
Jac Caglianones latest scare came Sept. 5, when he suffered a Grade 1 left flexor strain in his elbow during a game, a diagnosis that is not expected to send him to the injured list. Royals manager Matt Quatraro described the issue as low grade, which gives the team room to take a more aggressive approach to getting him back on the field without losing him for an extended stretch.
Even so, any elbow problem attached to Caglianone naturally brings the conversation back to durability. The Royals have invested in his talent and see a long-term role for him in their plans, but injuries have a way of forcing a pause around a young player whose development is still being shaped by the grind of a full season. For Kansas City, the immediate concern is manageable, but the broader one is harder to shake. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Wasted A Brilliant Pitching Night In A Brutal Extras Collapse
Noah Cameron gave the Royals exactly the kind of start they needed, working deep into the game and keeping Arizona off the board while the offense searched for any kind of breakthrough. The matchup with the Diamondbacks stayed scoreless through nine innings, a frustrating but familiar sort of setup for a team trying to squeeze value out of a strong pitching night.
The game finally cracked open in extras, and the tension only grew from there as both clubs found late offense in a wild 10th inning. Kansas City made things interesting with a quick answer, but the rally still came up short in a 5-4 loss that turned a crisp pitching performance into a bitter finish for the Royals and a costly one for bettors leaning on the under. [Read more 🡒]