​SAN DIEGO — The Diamondbacks hoped to get right-hander Michael Soroka back from the injured list sometime around the All-Star break, but that possibility seems increasingly unlikely as his throwing plan has been delayed. Manager Torey Lovullo said Soroka, who is sidelined with a glute injury, threw a bullpen session last week but did not rebound from it as hoped. He has not pitched off a mound since.
Lovullo indicated Soroka is tentatively scheduled to return to the mound on Sunday, July 12, with the goal of throwing another bullpen session four days afterward. There remains a glimmer of hope that Soroka could progress quickly from there, Lovullo said, but it is uncertain whether he would need a minor league rehab assignment, given that it will be nearly a month since his last game action on June 19.
In the same update, Lovullo noted that right-hander Corbin Burnes is slated to undergo an MRI on Friday to determine whether he can begin a throwing program. Burnes has not pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year and had been expected to return this month, but a teres major strain behind his right shoulder during rehab has complicated his timeline.
On the field, the Diamondbacks will face Padres RHP Michael King after RHP Jose Cabrera made his last appearance for Arizona. Cabrera (0-1, 4.73) gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Brewers on Friday, July 3, marking his second rough outing since a strong major league debut on June 21 against the Twins, when he worked five-plus scoreless innings. Cabrera has relied heavily on a cutter, but the results have been inconsistent, with opponents hitting .357 off it with a homer.
King has been the Padres’ most reliable starter this season, tallying 102 1/3 innings over 18 starts. In his most recent outing, he allowed two runs in six innings against the Dodgers. He also yielded two runs in six innings in his only start against Arizona this year, a April 26 tilt in Mexico City.
Looking ahead to the schedule, the Diamondbacks will visit San Diego on Thursday, July 9, at 6:40 p.m. with Merrill Kelly (6-8, 5.71) facing Padres right-hander Griffin Canning (1-6, 6.71). On Friday, July 10, they will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. with Eduardo Rodríguez (7-3, 2.25) opposing Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.79). Saturday, July 11, back in Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks will send Brandon Pfaadt (2-1, 4.84) against Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-5, 2.49) at 6:10 p.m.
This story has been updated with new information. The article originally appeared on the Arizona Republic’s live Diamondbacks-Padres coverage. Also included are notes about Soroka’s injury status and Burnes’s rehab timeline as of this update.