Now less than three weeks remain in the 2026 MLB regular season, which seems crazy to me, and every game takes on added importance for playoff hopefuls. The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of those, and they will see the season debut of former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes tonight in Kansas City off major surgery. That's unquestionably the biggest pitching player news around the majors Tuesday, and it's a 7:40 ET first pitch. It would have been the biggest story in MLB overall tonight, but Aaron Judge is returning for the Yankees. Bet $5+ on any of Tuesday's games and get $200 in bonus bets when you bet at DraftKings Sportsbook:
I will never understand why teams pay such outrageous contracts on starting pitchers when they are such a massive injury risk, but in December 2024 the Snakes gave the free-agent Burnes a six-year $210 million contract. That was the richest deal in team history and actually includes an opt-out clause after this season, but there's no chance Burnes exercises that now.
That contract was mostly praised around the majors because Burnes had been so good in his only season with Baltimore in finishing fifth in the AL Cy Young voting (he won the NL version in 2021 with Milwaukee) and was square in his prime. But all Arizona has gotten out of Burnes was 11 regular-season starts last year (3-2, 2.66 ERA) before Tommy John surgery.
The expectation was that Burnes would have been back well before now, but he suffered a shoulder setback with a strain in June 2026. At that point, he had been throwing bullpen sessions with the goal of returning to the rotation in July.
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Diamondbacks-Royals MLB same-game parlay
- Kansas City alt +2
- Under 1.5 first-inning runs
- Alt Under 12
DraftKings SGP price: +128 (subject to change)
Arizona needs all the help it can get right now to earn a wild-card spot, and apparently that's why the team only asked Burnes to make one minor-league rehab start. He threw two perfect innings in late August and his fastball was around 92-93 mph. Burnes, who then pitched about three innings last Thursday in a bridge camp game on a back field at Angels camp, is expected to be limited to about 60 pitches tonight. That means he surely won't qualify for a win but should now be in line to make four starts, including Tuesday, before the end of the regular season.
"It was good to get out there and get the pitches that we want to and everything," Burnes said. "The mark was to get to 50 at least, so we can go 60 to 65 next time. I'm ready." DraftKings prices Burnes at Over/Under 11.5 outs recorded, 3.5 strikeouts, 3.5 hits allowed and 1.5 earned runs. You cannot bet on him to earn the win.
And if Arizona can get Burnes to the five- or sixth-inning range by the playoffs, this team is much more dangerous with two other good starters in Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt. Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen used to be good, but neither has been much in 2026 with Gallen also working his way back from a long IL stint. The Diamondbacks are -130 for extra baseball with No at +110, and I think they get there.
Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (.251, nine HR, 49 RBI) avoided disaster Sunday when he was struck in the helmet by a line drive off the bat of Ketel Marte when running the bases against the Astros and had to leave. Perdomo not only didn't land in the concussion protocol, he was in Monday's lineup and had a hit and RBI in the 5-4 win in 10 innings to open the series. That was an absolutely brutal push for those who wagered Under 9 for the game total, as it was scoreless entering the 10th.
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The Royals, losers of six of eight, are playing out the string on a very disappointing campaign that may or may not cost fourth-year manager Matt Quatraro his job. They had been playing significantly better since the All-Star break overall, so that may save it.
Veteran righty Michael Wacha (9-8, 3.36 ERA) starts tonight. He has won his past four, with his last personal loss July 31 vs. Colorado. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts him at 5.9 innings, 4.6 strikeouts, 5.4 hits allowed and 2.4 earned runs for this one. I might have to consider a Nolan Arenado hitting prop for Arizona, as he's 11-for-22 career off Wacha with four homers.
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Arizona has won three straight and has all the reason to care, but its bullpen is massively taxed because all three of those victories were in one-run games and two in extras. Our model has a close K.C. win (4.6-4.4), and Wacha has three straight quality starts. Ideally, good-looking young Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone (.283, 23 HR, 70 RBI) returns after missing the past two injured. Although maybe for total purposes, I don't want that. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
