“This was probably a tactical error on my part. I’ll take the responsibility for that,” Lovullo told reporters. “Corbin is a very routine-oriented player, and I had yet to understand that until recently. He’s got a process and I respect that and I blame myself for not getting to know him, how important the routine is. … He is elite in this space. It took me a little time to figure that out.
“When we stepped into a space where we had to make an adjustment, that he wasn’t going to start Opening Day, we had to recalibrate and get him on the right routine. I respect that 100 percent.”
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The Diamondbacks open the season on March 27 against the Chicago Cubs, while Burnes made his final spring start on March 21. That would have aligned him to pitch the opener on five days’ rest. Arizona could have had Burnes pitch the second game of the season with an additional day of rest, but Burnes actually prefers to throw on four days’ rest, so the Diamondbacks did not want to go that route.
Burnes is expected to pitch in a backfield game this week to keep him on schedule. He will then make his regular season debut on the road against the New York Yankees on April 1.
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The Diamondbacks will want to keep Burnes satisfied since they made a significant offseason investment in him. Both sides are getting used to one another, and Lovullo seems to have misjudged how strict Burnes is about his sleep pattern. It is not a problem that occurs frequently, and it could ultimately cost Burnes a start this season.
