It's been a long time coming, but Corbin Burnes is officially set to make his season debut.

Tuesday, Sept. 8, marks the first time Burnes will pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks since June 1, 2025.

A lengthy injury is the last thing the D-backs wanted after they signed Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract, but now it seems like he's back to 100% and could be a massive part of Arizona's postseason push.

Remember, Burnes is under contract through 2030, though there is a player opt-out option available in 2027. 

With 17 games remaining in the regular season, the D-backs hold a slight half-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the final National League Wild Card spot.

Burnes was a 1.9 WAR player in his 11 starts last season, and other than his dreadful 2019 campaign, which was mostly out of the bullpen, he's been as good as it gets.

The former Cy Young Award winner went 3-2 a year ago with a 2.66 ERA, and those are the only numbers he's put up since joining the Diamondbacks organization.

Playing on three different teams in three years is no easy feat, so that's exactly why the D-backs locked him up to a long-term deal.

Burnes, now fully healthy, has a chance to make a huge impact not just on the rest of the 2026 season, but in 2027 and beyond.

As long as he truly is healthy and ready to go, Burnes has a chance to immediately give the D-backs a massive boost to their starting rotation.

There's no doubt he'll be on some sort of pitch count, but Burnes has shown everything necessary to get him back into the big leagues, and the team is desperately counting on him being a key contributor down the stretch.

Realistically, Burnes could make two more starts before the playoffs, if the D-backs even make it to that point.

Either way, it'll be good to get him back on the mound, as it's no easy feat not being able to pitch for over a year.

His lengthy stint on the Injured List is finally over, and the D-backs currently have him slotted in to pitch at home on Sept. 15, and then there should be room for another start from Sept. 22-24, though that'll be tough as it's at Coors Field.

Keep in mind, the D-backs wouldn't want to push his last start back, as that would likely make him unavailable for the Wild Card round.