D-backs' Corbin Burnes Looks to stay Hot vs Rockies

The Arizona Diamondbacks, fresh off a much-needed off-day on Thursday, will begin a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Friday. Ace Corbin Burnes will look to run back his last excellent outing.

The Rockies are a mere 7-36, the worst record in MLB, and are most recently victims of a sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers. Meanwhile, the D-backs managed an 8-8 record in their 16-game stretch without an off-day, and just took two of three from a tough division rival in San Francisco.

Pitching Matchup

After dealing with (and, assumedly, resolving) a shoulder inflammation issue that required him to take one week off in the rotation, right-hander Corbin Burnes was brilliant in his last start — mowing down the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers for a seven-inning shutout, as Arizona went on to blank LA 3-0.

Burnes finally appeared to have found his trademark cutter, and looked more efficient, more in command of the zone and more like the confident ace Arizona signd to a franchise-record contract.

Of course, on paper, the Rockies provide much less of a challenge offensively, but anything can happen in baseball, and no opponent can be taken for granted. Though Burnes lowered his ERA to 2.95 his last time out, his peripherals do still show a bit of an uphill battle, with a 4.66 FIP and 4.19 xFIP.

In theory, Colorado should offer Burnes a chance to stack together some back-to-back dominant outings and help the righty gain some momentum toward a full return to form, but that is not a guarantee.

Meanwhile, the Rockies will call up left-hand pitching prospect Carson Palmquist to make his MLB debut. Palmquist, 24, is the No. 9 prospect in Colorado's system, and has enjoyed a solid start to the 2025 season with Triple-A Albuquerque.

In seven starts with the Isotopes, Palmquist has a 3.82 ERA, and has struck out an impressive 11.46 batters per nine. He struck out eight and nine batters respectively in his past two outings — both six-inning Quality Starts. Triple-A opponents have hit just .179 against him this season.

Palmquist throws a low-90s fastball with plenty of carry, as well as two different sliders. One profiles closer to what would be considered a sweeper, while the other has more of a cutter-esque shape. He also has a plus changeup. Each of his pitch profiles have a grade of 50 or higher, and he does boast above-average control.

The Diamondbacks have struggled against left-hand starters in 2025. If they can't take advantage of his high 4.58 walks per nine, they could be in for another tough offensive performance against a loopy southpaw.

Lineup