Corbin Burnes, still not having pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season after Tommy John surgery last year, admitted his rehab hit a snag that pushed back a planned minor-league rehab assignment. The right-hander’s current target remains a return by S
Arizona has been threading together strong stretches of baseball, quietly waiting for its biggest names to finally show up and change the math. For now, one of those stars is still stuck in recovery.
Corbin Burnes has not appeared for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a single inning this season. The 2025 offseason acquisition is still recuperating after Tommy John surgery he underwent a year ago. The current plan is for Burnes to return by September so the Diamondbacks can have him later in the year during their postseason push.
Speaking to the media. Burnes laid out where things stand in his rehab and what the setback has meant for his timeline. He said. “I’m doing better today.” Then he explained what happened around the next step: he was supposed to start a rehab assignment in the minors on the following day. but the delay is now forcing him to ride the bench a little longer.
“Obviously, the last couple days have been tough,” Burnes said, adding, “Literally, tomorrow I was supposed to go out on rehab assignment. So, it’s tough to have put in work for 11 months and, you know, you’re a little over a month away from being back.”
Burnes’ goal now is to listen closely to the training staff and get back on track for Arizona’s late-season push. He also talked about how he approaches the recovery process when the timeline shifts. “I’m gonna push the envelope,” Burnes said. “That’s what I do, you know. I push the envelope to get back two months earlier from TJ. so whatever the timeline is. I’ll make sure it’s on the short end of that. But I just have to do what I can to get healthy and provide as much of an impact as I can.”.
Burnes’ rehab timeline matters because his absence has been total so far this season—no innings. no game action. just preparation. It has also followed an elbow injury that kept him from returning after last year: he did play 11 games in 2024. posting a 2.66 ERA. but the elbow injury in June last year prevented him from getting back to the mound.
There’s a simple, uncomfortable reality running through all of it. Burnes is close enough to see the finish line—he described being “a little over a month away from being back”—and yet the rehab setback forced him to miss the next milestone. pushing the return window into a later month than the plan heading into this week.
For the Diamondbacks, the waiting continues. The team’s late-season postseason hopes still include Burnes, with the current plan for him to return by September—but for now, his pitch schedule is still something he can only chase from the training room, day by day.
Corbin Burnes Arizona Diamondbacks Tommy John surgery rehab setback MLB September return elbow injury
So he’s “over a month away” and they’re still calling it a setback… cool cool.
Tommy John again?? I swear every pitcher nowadays has TJ like it’s routine. I hope he’s okay but September feels like forever. Diamondbacks better not bet the whole season on him.
Wait so he hasn’t pitched at all this season but they say he’s close? I don’t get it. Like they already have his arm “ready” then one minor league start got delayed and now he’s just benched? Seems like they could just let him throw in some games or whatever.
“Push the envelope” like that’s gonna help. I know injuries are unpredictable but 11 months then pushed back a rehab assignment for a day and now September? That’s wild. Also the article says he had an elbow injury last year, so was it elbow or is it always TJ anyway? I’m confused and honestly annoyed because I wanted him to be one of the stars to “change the math” this season.