Diamondbacks’ Playoff Aspirations Diminish with Corbin Burnes Injury Setback

The Arizona Diamondbacks, currently in a playoff spot as the season stands, faced a significant setback in their postseason aspirations with the news that ace Corbin Burnes has been shut down from his throwing recovery program following Tommy John surgery. This development likely sidelines him until at least September, creating uncertainty for a team that had high hopes for his return.

Burnes, who inked a six-year, $210 million contract last year—the largest in franchise history—was anticipated to make a comeback around the All-Star break, potentially providing a substantial boost for the Diamondbacks in the second half of the season. Unfortunately, after throwing approximately 18 pitches in a recent outing against hitters, he was diagnosed with a teres major strain, forcing him to restart his throwing program, possibly not resuming until July.

“It’s a blow, and it’s something that we’re going to have to deal with,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged. “It’s what we do in this game, and we’ve got very qualified players in that clubhouse that are going to get some opportunities. We’ve got five really good starting pitchers right now, and they’re doing a really good job. I want that to continue.”

Burnes underwent an MRI on Monday that thankfully revealed no further damage, yet the team is still left in the dark regarding the cause of his recent setback. “There’s no real defined answer,” Lovullo explained. “He felt it after his last outing. He felt like the next day something was just a little tight. He threw a little bit, and it just amplified a little bit. … We’ll just remain hopeful. We want him to get healthy once he gets there.”

Originally, Burnes had turned down a four-year, $180 million contract to remain with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent, with expectations to exercise an opt-out clause after his second season to re-enter the market. However, after averaging 31 starts and 189 innings in his previous four seasons, the former Cy Young winner has only managed 11 starts and pitched 64.1 innings since joining the Diamondbacks.

Given the circumstances, Burnes is likely to remain in Arizona, with the Diamondbacks obligated to pay him $140 million over the next four years, including $11 million deferred each year. His no-trade provision will shift to a partial no-trade clause, enabling him to reject trades to 14 clubs.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.