Patrick Corbin missed the entire 2014 season after having to undergo Tommy John surgery, but is now set to return.
Patrick Corbin will start tomorrow for Dbacks. It will be his first start in majors since September 2013.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) July 3, 2015
Corbin was drafted 31st overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, and while he didn't perform spectacularly well in his first taste of big league action, he improved greatly in 2013.
Patrick Corbin | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA | FIP | fWAR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 107 | 7.23 | 2.1 | 1.18 | 4.54 | 4 | 1.1 |
2013 | 208.1 | 7.69 | 2.33 | 0.82 | 3.41 | 3.43 | 3.6 |
2015 (AA) | 16.1 | 6.06 | 2.76 | 0.55 | 2.76 | 3.88 | NA |
The Diamondbacks don't appear to be contenders, but they're only three games under .500 and just five games back of the second wild card spot. They've had a rocky season, especially with their seemingly inexplicable trade of 2014 first round pick Touki Toussaint. Their starting rotation is the 25th worst in baseball, according to fWAR, and getting Corbin back on the mound could be an enormous boost.
Arizona is one of the few teams still debating how to approach the deadline. If Corbin can help the team win a few games over the next couple weeks, and other pitchers step up, they could be buyers. Dave Stewart maintains that the moves they're making are to win now, and it's time to put his prospects where his mouth is, (so to speak) and acquire some complimentary pieces if he's truly serious about making a playoff run in 2015.