Burnes Throws in Bridge Camp Game
Corbin Burnes took a significant step in his recovery on Tuesday, pitching in a bridge camp game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The Diamondbacks right-hander, working his way back from Tommy John surgery and a subsequent shoulder injury, recorded two outs and allowed a single against Chicago Cubs minor leaguers, as reported by The Arizona Republic.
Burnes threw 24 pitches in the outing, according to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral, with his fastball mostly in the low-90s and topping at 93 mph. Though that velocity is below his usual range — his cutter typically sits in the 94-96 mph range, as Sports Illustrated noted — Burnes said he was pleased with the outing.
"It was good," Burnes said, per The Arizona Republic. "Came out and threw strikes. Did what I needed to do. The misses we had were right around the zone. That was kind of my whole goal coming back was to make sure we're filling up the strike zone and being around it. Give ourselves a chance to get outs."
Progress and Next Steps
After the game, Burnes threw 11 more pitches in the bullpen, building his total to around 25 pitches, with less effort. Manager Torey Lovullo said the plan is to get Burnes back at three innings and 45 pitches, depending on how the bullpen looks.
Burnes' next outing could come as soon as Saturday, potentially with Triple-A Reno, though wildfires in the Reno area could alter those plans, Lovullo said. If all goes well, Burnes could be reinstated from the injured list, possibly for the Diamondbacks' series in Houston from Sept. 4-6. In that scenario, he would likely have a shortened outing and build his pitch count at the major league level.
Lovullo indicated that Burnes could return shortly after the beginning of September, which would give him a chance to make a handful of starts over the final month. However, NBC Sports reported that it would be unlikely he makes more than one or two appearances this season, given the lengthy ramp-up required.
Burnes, 31, had Tommy John surgery in 2025, early in his six-year, $210 million contract with Arizona. He was targeting a return around the All-Star break, but a teres major strain in his shoulder during rehab shut him down from throwing in early June. A follow-up MRI over the All-Star break showed positive healing, and he has since resumed his throwing program.
Burnes' next major league outing will be his first since June 1, 2025, according to The Arizona Republic.
Gallen Also Progressing
Zac Gallen, also working his way back from injury, pitched in the same bridge camp game on Tuesday. He allowed one run on 45 pitches over three innings, with his fastball primarily in the 93-94 mph range. Gallen said he was pleased with the outing and felt his stuff was getting better as it went on.
Gallen is on the 60-day injured list with elbow inflammation and is not eligible to return until Sept. 7. He said he expects to be ready when eligible, taking it day by day. Prior to his injury, Gallen had a 6.34 ERA, the worst among qualified pitchers, and he has not pitched since July 7.
Both Burnes and Gallen have a chance to return during the final month of the season, providing a boost to a rotation that recently lost Michael Soroka to a shoulder issue.
Context and Outlook
Burnes was placed on the 60-day injured list as a procedural move to free a 40-man roster spot for backup catcher Aramis Garcia, per NBC Sports. His aggressive rehab approach may have contributed to the shoulder setback, as both The Arizona Republic and Sports Illustrated noted, but he remains focused on returning as quickly as possible.
"We'll figure out what the next parts of this puzzle look like," Lovullo said, according to The Arizona Republic. "Getting Corbin back at three (innings) and 45 (pitches) is..."
Burnes said his goal is to get back as quickly as possible, but acknowledged that the decision involves "higher ups." For now, Tuesday's outing served as a positive first step in what has been a long road back.