Arizona Diamondbacks News

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo confirmed on Monday that right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow) will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his season debut on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals on the road, according to Alex D'Agostino of Sports Illustrated. Burnes will rejoin Arizona's starting rotation with several weeks remaining in the regular season as they continue their push for the final spot in the National League wild-card standings. The four-time All-Star only made 11 starts in his first year with the D-backs in 2025 before being shut down due to right-elbow issues, going 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA (3.94 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 26 walks in 64 1/3 innings pitched. Fantasy managers should be tempering expectations for Burnes as he returns from Tommy John surgery, but the Snakes are hoping the former ace can help push them over the top and into the postseason. The 31-year-old threw 53 pitches in his last minor-league rehab start on the farm last week, and although he could be somewhat limited from a pitch-count perspective on Tuesday, the matchup against KC is enticing. Burnes is available in 70% of Yahoo leagues as he nears his return to Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow) is expected to make his return to the team's starting rotation on Tuesday in Kansas City against the Royals, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. It will be Burnes' first appearance back in the big leagues since he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last June. The 31-year-old veteran had a setback this June, delaying his 2026 debut until the final month of the regular season. It could be a nice jolt of energy for the D-backs as they seek to claim the final wild-card spot in the National League over the next several weeks, but from a fantasy perspective, managers should not be expecting much from Burnes, who will most likely be on a strict pitch count in his return next week in his first big-league game in over 15 months. The four-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner has been a fantasy ace in the past, but he will only be afforded a few starts to close out the fantasy season. In 11 starts in 2025 before going under the knife, Burnes had a 2.66 ERA (3.94 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP for the Snakes with 63 strikeouts and 26 walks in 64 1/3 innings pitched.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (shoulder) will pitch in a simulated game on Friday at the team's spring training complex in Arizona, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Soroka is scheduled to go four innings and/or 60 pitches in the outing, and he could be an option to return from the 15-day injured list next week during the team's series in Kansas City against the Royals. The 29-year-old Canadian could end up spending the minimum of 15 days on the IL after landing on the shelf last week with inflammation in his right shoulder. The D-backs are right in the thick of the hunt for the final wild-card spot in the National League, so getting Soroka back as a starter down the stretch could be huge. He has had a resurgent 2026 season in the desert for the Snakes, going 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA (2.95 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 91 strikeouts and 24 walks in 95 1/3 frames across his 18 starts in his seventh year in the majors. Soroka has only made three starts since the All-Star break due to injuries, though, and he has posted a 5.40 ERA with seven walks and 12 K's in 13 1/3 innings over those three starts. He could be a sneaky streaming option in the last few weeks of 2026.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (back) is dealing with lower-back discomfort, manager Torey Lovullo told Jack Sommers of Sports Illustrated. Carroll was able to play all nine innings in Tuesday's contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was not 100%. He went 0-for-4 at the plate with three strikeouts in the 7-1 loss. The good news is that the left-handed-hitting outfielder is back in action for Wednesday's game at Chase Field against the Phillies, starting in right field and batting in the two-hole against right-hander Andrew Painter. The 26-year-old former National League Rookie of the Year must not be dealing with serious back trouble if he is right back on the field the following day, although his back issues could be affecting him at the plate recently. In his last nine games, Carroll has gone 3-for-33 (.091) with one homer, three RBI, two stolen bases, two runs scored, four walks, and 12 strikeouts to drop his season slash line to .242/.339/.472 with an .811 OPS in 508 at-bats. Carroll is still a five-category contributor, and fantasy managers are hoping he can turn it around for the final month of the regular season in 2026.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee) will be activated from the 10-day injured list before Monday's series opener at home against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Francys Romero. Marte is expected to serve as the designated hitter against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola, and he will address his teammates before the game. He failed to show up at Fenway Park on Aug. 17 against the Boston Red Sox, with his teammates and the D-backs' coaching staff left in the dark as to why he did not show up. Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list before he and his agent sat down with general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo to explain that he left the team to have an MRI exam on his left knee. "We're playing good baseball right now," Lovullo said. "We need to keep playing good baseball. I think an apology would galvanize this group. He doesn't know how powerful that would be if he did something like that." The 32-year-old switch-hitting Dominican will return to a .249/.314/.446 slash line with 21 homers, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four steals in 469 at-bats in 2026. Marte is typically a must-start in fantasy, but he has hit just .224 (22-for-98) with a .712 OPS, four homers, four doubles, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 26 games since the All-Star break.

Arizona Diamondbacks first base prospect Manuel Pena is adjusting well to Triple-A Reno and looks like a potential stash candidate with the potential for a call-up to Arizona. In 51 games with Reno, Pena is hitting .297 with five homers and 27 RBI with 25 runs scored. Between two levels of the minors this year, Pena has 31 combined homers with 91 RBI and 73 runs scored while hitting a combined .305. Most of that damage was done at Double-A but Pena nonetheless looks like a prime candidate for a promotion as rosters expand. Pena is the No. 29 prospect for the Diamondbacks with 55-grade power and for the most part has outperformed his expectations this season. Look for that to be rewarded with a shot in Arizona this September and the pop in his bat could play for fantasy teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll entered Friday's game against the division-rival San Francisco Giants with an 0-for-14 stretch over his previous four games, but he broke out of his funk by going 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in the team's 10-6 win in the Bay Area. The 26-year-old former first-rounder and National League Rookie of the Year hasn't had the kind of power he displayed last year, when he hit a career-best 31 home runs, but the left-handed hitter continues to produce across the board for fantasy managers, slashing .248/.344/.486 with an .830 OPS, 19 home runs, 61 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 82 runs scored in his fifth year in the league in 2026. Carroll has been a bit more mediocre since the All-Star break with a .238 average (35-for-147) with six homers, nine doubles, six triples, 16 RBI, 10 steals, and 28 runs in 39 games played, but he's been better in August, going 24-for-95 (.253) with four homers, six doubles, four triples, 12 RBI, 17 runs scored, and five steals in 26 games. The five-category contributor is unlikely to reach the 30-homer mark in back-to-back seasons, but a fourth-straight 30-steal campaign is still within reach for the five-category contributor.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (thumb) was scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Arenado was removed ahead of this game due to right thumb inflammation, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The veteran slugger was dealing with a left side issue last week, but this absence is unrelated. Jose Fernandez will draw the start at third base during Thursday's game. Fantasy managers should consider Arenado as day-to-day. There should be another update on his status ahead of Saturday's contest. Arenado has been struggling at the plate lately, but is still worth rostering in deep leagues.

Across 248 plate appearances entering play on Wednesday, Arizona Diamondbacks utility man Tim Tawa was slashing .248/.301/.404 with eight home runs, 32 RBI, 26 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 27-year-old has emerged as an everyday piece of the Diamondbacks lineup in August, hitting .299 with four home runs and five stolen bases across 96 plate appearances this month. Tawa's underlying batted ball metrics are rock solid, as he's posted a 9.2% barrel rate and a 45.7% hard-hit rate. Tawa has also lowered his strikeout rate to 22.0%, a much more manageable figure than his 28.4% strikeout rate across 225 big-league plate appearances in 2025. With his ability to produce across all categories and his multi-positional eligibility, Tawa profiles as a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee) is tentatively expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list next Tuesday, when the team opens a series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, according to Francys Romero. Marte started rehabbing his injured knee on Monday at the team's spring training complex in Arizona. The team placed Marte on the restricted list last Monday after he did not show up to Fenway Park for the series opener against the Boston Red Sox, but it turned out he was headed back to Arizona to have an MRI exam on his bothersome left knee. It was a bizarre situation for the D-backs' coaching staff last week, but the good news for fantasy managers is that they should have the All-Star second baseman back in the fold early next week, barring a setback. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter will be returning to a .249/.314/.446 slash line with 21 homers, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four steals as a must-start in traditional fantasy leagues when he is active. Marte has struggled so far in the second half, hitting .225 (22-for-98) with a .712 OPS, four homers, four doubles, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 26 games played.

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Michael Soroka (arm) back on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with inflammation in his right arm, but the team is hopeful he'll be ready to return to their starting rotation when he's eligible, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. "He's going to hopefully be ready on Day 16. The plan is to get him a couple days down, get him back on the bump and miss as few days as possible," manager Torey Lovullo said. The move to put the 29-year-old back on the IL came after Soroka surrendered six runs and three walks in 3 1/3 innings pitched in his start on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. It is frustrating for fantasy managers after Soroka already missed two months with a glute injury, but the good news is he will be back to close out the 2026 campaign in September. In his three starts since returning from his glute injury on Aug. 10, Soroka allowed eight earned runs on 15 hits while walking seven and striking out 12 in 13 1/3 innings. Soroka was having a resurgent 2026 season before his glute injury in Arizona, and he is now 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 91:24 K:BB in 95 1/3 frames across 18 starts.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee) was seen at a casino during the team's game on Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds. "He's free to do whatever he wants as long as he wakes up tomorrow and gets his work done at Salt River (Fields), which I am certain he will, that's all that matters right now," manager Torey Lovullo said when asked about Marte being at a casino, per Cameron Cox of 12 News. Marte was a no-show for the series opener in Boston against the Red Sox earlier this week, which prompted the D-backs to place the 32-year-old All-Star on the restricted list. Then we found out that Marte headed back to Arizona for an MRI exam on his left knee without telling the team. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, with general manager Mike Hazen saying that he expects Marte to rejoin the team following his stint on the IL. It is unclear how long Marte will be sidelined with left-knee inflammation, but he needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues until he returns. In the meantime, Ildemaro Vargas should continue to serve as the team's primary second baseman.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Justin Martinez recently made his season debut after missing a majority of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Martinez threw a scoreless inning against the Boston Red Sox during his season debut on Tuesday. He is pitching in low-leverage situations right now, but could work his way into the closer role in Arizona. Martinez earned 14 saves between the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the D-Backs. This team doesn't have a lockdown closer at the moment after Paul Sewald lost the job. Martinez could quickly slide into the role if he continues to pitch well. He's someone to keep an eye on as a possible stash in September.

According to Nick Piecoro, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee, personal) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Thursday. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen met with Marte on Thursday, and they've decided to place him on the shelf until he's fully healthy. The organization has failed to give much information regarding Marte's absence. He missed all of their most recent series versus the Boston Red Sox. There is no word on when Marte will come back, so fantasy managers remain in the dark. Fantasy managers should try to hold Marte if possible, but it's unclear if he'll even return this season.

After a rough start to the season, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt was moved from the starting rotation into a bullpen role in mid-April. However, Pfaadt pitched well out of the pen and has kept up his strong production since being moved back into the rotation in late June. Across his last 60 1/3 innings (10 starts), the 27-year-old has recorded a 7-0 record with a 1.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts. Pfaadt's fantasy upside is limited by his lack of strikeouts, as he's posted just a 17.1% strikeout rate for the season and owns a 21.1% strikeout rate for his career. He's also likely benefited from some batted-ball luck, as his .261 opponent batting average on balls in play in 2026 is significantly below his career mark of .305. Still, Pfaadt's numbers since rejoining the Diamondbacks rotation are hard to ignore. At the very least, he should be viewed as a high-end starting pitcher streamer in leagues where he's available on the waiver wire.

Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Brandyn Garcia has emerged as one of the better arms in his team's bullpen so far this season, recording a 2.48 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 42 strikeouts, and four saves across 36 1/3 innings (43 games). Since designating veteran reliever Paul Sewald for assignment in early August, Arizona has operated with a committee approach to the closer role. Along with Garcia, Diamondbacks right-handers Justin Martinez, Kevin Ginkel, and Juan Morillo are also candidates to see save chances. Still, Garcia has posted an excellent 30.4% strikeout rate while walking just 6.5% of the batters he's faced. He's also generated a 63.7% ground-ball rate while allowing just 0.50 HR/9. Even if Garcia does not see every save opportunity in Arizona, he should continue to provide elite ratios and could pick up the occasional win while working in high-leverage spots. In deeper leagues, Garcia could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen was non-committal on Wednesday on whether second baseman Ketel Marte (knee, personal) will return this year, although he did say he was hopeful he would be back, according to Diamondbacks reporter Jody Jackson. Hazen said he plans to talk to Marte face to face on Thursday. Arizona placed the All-Star second baseman on the restricted list before their series opener on Monday at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox when he did not show up to the stadium due to an undisclosed personal matter. It was later discovered that Marte flew back to Arizona to have an MRI exam on his left knee without telling the team. We should have a better idea of whether the 32-year-old will return this season after his MRI results and after the team's brass sits down and talks with him. Losing Marte for the rest of 2026 would be a major blow to Arizona's playoff chances. The switch-hitting Dominican infielder is currently slashing .249/.314/.446 with a .760 OPS, 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four steals in his 469 at-bats. Fantasy managers need to sit tight and hold him for now.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee) is returning to Arizona to undergo an MRI exam on his knee, a source told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Marte did not show up to the team's series opener on Monday in Boston against the Red Sox and was placed on the restricted list due to a personal matter. In addition to a personal issue, the 32-year-old All-Star is not 100% healthy, even though it was reported on Monday that he was physically fine. The D-backs are considering him day-to-day for now, but it sure feels like Marte might be looking at an extended absence with everything that he is currently going through. In the meantime, Ildemaro Vargas, who made the start at the keystone in Monday's loss at Fenway Park, should see most of the playing time at second until Marte returns. Marte, a three-time All-Star, is currently hitting .249/.314/.446 with a .760 OPS, 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four steals in 118 games this year. He is a must-start in fantasy lineups when he is active, and he needs to be stashed in all leagues while he is away from the team.

Updating a previous report, The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro was told that Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (personal) is doing OK physically, but he just "didn't show up to the ballpark tonight" for the series opener on Monday at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. The D-backs placed Marte on the restricted list before the game, and it is unclear how long he will be out of action. In the meantime, Ildemaro Vargas got the start at second base and was hitting leadoff in Boston. We hope everything is all right with the 32-year-old Marte, who is hitting .249/.314/.446 on the year with a .760 OPS, 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 469 at-bats in his 12th year in the big leagues. When we have more information on this situation, we will pass it along. For now, fantasy managers will need to keep Marte stashed on their bench in all leagues. Vargas should see most of the playing time at second until Marte returns. He got off to a red-hot start in April/March by hitting an absurd .378 with six homers and 20 RBI before cooling off in May and June. He got hot again in July, hitting .344, but with zero homers in 22 games. UPDATE: Francys Romero reports that Marte is dealing with a personal matter. There is no estimated return date, and he's currently considered day-to-day.

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Monday that they placed second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list and recalled infielder Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. It is unclear why Marte is going on the restricted list or how long he will be away. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at the keystone for the Snakes and is batting leadoff for Monday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox and left-hander Alec Gamboa, and he will most likely see most of the playing time at second base for however long Marte is out. We should have an update on Marte's status before the end of Monday night, so fantasy managers will want to check back on his situation. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter is a must-start in all traditional fantasy leagues when he is active. He comes into Monday's slate of games hitting .249 (117-for-469) on the year with 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 118 games and 519 plate appearances. Marte hit only .218 (22-for-101) in July, though, and has gone 9-for-43 (.209) with two home runs, two doubles, five RBI, and seven runs scored in 13 games in August.