D-backs Intrigue Persists with Corbin Burnes and Rotation Order

The potential knock-on effects of the decision to start Zac Gallen on opening day have left the rest of the rotation in flux.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes leaves the bullpen before he faces the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Salt River Fields on March 3, 2025. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks are closing in on some key roster and rotation decisions, but it will be at least one more day until we start to gain more clarity. Manager Torey Lovullo said he and Mike Hazen have a call scheduled for Saturday evening to hash out some of the final decisions.

The biggest intrigue suddenly revolves around when Corbin Burnes will pitch again. It was assumed that Friday night's game against the Brewers would be his final tuneup prior to March 28 against the Cubs in game two of that series.

But the star pitcher said in his post game press conference that he was planning to pitch in one more game prior to the start of the season. The problem with that is there are no more spring or exhibition games that line up for him to make that happen, nor is there enough time.

If Burnes were to pitch again on four days rest on March 26, then he would miss the entire opening series against the Cubs and not be available until game one against the Yankees in New York.

When asked Saturday morning if this means that Burnes may miss the Cubs series, Lovullo was not able to give a definitive answer when asked if Burnes might need another start.

"It could potentially. We haven't had a chance to talk to everybody about where they're slotting and what's going on. So, I don't want to go any further than that, but it'll make sense once, once I'm able to talk about what I need to talk about."

Had Burnes been named the opening-day starter, he would have been working on five days rest. Zac Gallen will be working on six days' rest for his Opening Day start. It's not clear if six days' rest is an issue for Burnes or not.

A second piece of intrigue surrounding the rotation order is that Brandon Pfaadt was originally on the schedule to pitch in Scottsdale against the Giants on Saturday. But that start was switched to Merrill Kelly. Now Pfaadt is lined up to face the Padres in a split-squad game on Sunday, March 23, while Ryne Nelson faces the White Sox in Glendale.

This could mean the rotation lines up as Gallen, Kelly, Pfaadt, and Eduardo Rodriguez for the Cubs series, but that is a guess. Lovullo requested that we "just hang with him another 24 hours."

Then there is still the decision to make regarding Jordan Montgomery. Will he remain on the roster? Will he be in the rotation over Pfaadt or Nelson, or go to the bullpen? Is a trade imminent? Or will the D-backs be forced to cut bait and just DFA him?

Beyond this multitude of rotation questions, there remains the issue of the utility infielder spot. Due to some confusing contract language, there was some uncertainty over Garrett Hampson's status. It was reported yesterday that he had opted out of his minor league contract. In fact, he's in the lineup Saturday in Scottsdale against the Giants.

In reality, Hampson was required to indicate his intention to opt out if he didn't make the team by the deadline for the D-backs to make the decision come to pass. That deadline is noon Sunday, hence Lovullo and Hazen have to huddle up Saturday evening.

That decision appears to have come down to Hampson and Ildemaro Vargas. There is also the very outside chance both could make the roster, but that could come at the expense of Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy perhaps.

Final bullpen spots are also up in the air for at least another day or two. Some of those decisions will be impacted by what happens in the rotation.

Sunday's split-squad games are the final Cactus League games for the Diamondbacks. They break camp Sunday afternoon and will play the Cleveland Guardians Monday night and Tuesday afternoon at Chase Field. That's followed by a day off on March 26 before the opener on March 27.

Lovullo said to expect most of these decisions to be clear by Sunday evening.

"What Mike likes to do is, once we leave Salt River and head to Chase, he likes to have the team really dialed in. Maybe one, max two conversations that need to be had over at Chase."

And so we wait.

Pavin Smith Health Update

Lovullo said that Pavin Smith is fine and simply day to day with his right wrist contusion suffered in the game Friday night against the Brewers. It happened on a play at first base when his wrist got caught in between the ball and the runner.

It's the same wrist that Smith had surgically repaired in 2023 following an injury while playing for the Reno Aces. The medical staff asked to remove him from the game out of caution. Lovullo said that no imaging was required.