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Arizona Diamondbacks’ rotation set, star pitcher pushed back

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Ben Bliklen | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 10:09 AM ET

With the 2025 MLB season starting next Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks finally have their rotation set in stone it seems. Though, with head coach Torey Lovullo naming pitcher Zac Gallen to start opening day, that will shift things around a little bit.

This makes it so Corbin Burnes wont make his Diamondbacks debut until that series in New York against the Yankees, and will see Merrill Kelly get the second start of the season against the Chicago Cubs. Corbin Burnes has some familiarity in New York after two games he pitched while in Milwaukee and in Baltimore. He has fared well over there with 16 strikeouts and a 0.69 era over 13 innings.

Head Coach Torey Lovullo spoke on Corbin Burnes and also took responsibility for this whole situation, “He’s an elite human being, he’s an elite pitcher with an elite routine that I don’t want to get in the way of. So I could have said, ‘You have to,’ it’s just not what I believe in.”

Torey Lovullo on scheduling lineup:

Torey Lovullo blames himself for Corbin Burnes not starting until the Dbacks fifth game of the season.

Here’s his full explanation on the scheduling mishap.

“I was really suffering through this whole process because I wanted to do what’s right by the player.”@12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/eybVqDU7eJ

— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) March 23, 2025

The starting five seem to be set, as Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt will round out the rotation. Jordan Montgomery and Ryne Nelson will both be slated to start the season in the bullpen. The first series of the season begins this Thursday, March 27th, against the Chicago Cubs. The pitching rotation will look like this: