PHOENIX -- With a few down-to-the-wire decisions on some non-roster invitees and the bold move to open the season without a left-hander in the bullpen, the D-backs have finalized their roster for Opening Day.
It’s far from a finished product, as the D-backs have several impact players making their way back from injury. Ace Corbin Burnes, righty Merrill Kelly, leverage relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and catcher Adrian Del Castillo will all open the season on the injured list.
They have varying timelines for their respective returns, but in the meantime manager Torey Lovullo is excited to see his opening 26 players in action when the D-backs lift the lid on the 2026 campaign at 5:30 p.m. MST on Thursday at Dodger Stadium (NBC/Peacock).
“We have to win little inches on the baseball field. We have to take care of the margins,” Lovullo said. “You know, we're built differently than a lot of baseball teams. We do it in a very uncommon way, and that's by paying attention to small details. They all matter. They add up into something very, very big, and we fight and claw for the inches all over the baseball field. …
“I think we're very athletic, we're very prepared and we're going to save runs. And when you save runs, it adds up differently. The Dodgers are going to pound the baseball to score runs. We've got to save runs. And I think there's a good balance there that makes us a good baseball team.”
Here are the players who will put that plan into action:
Catchers (2): Gabriel Moreno, James McCann
Moreno was slowed toward the end of camp, but he returned for the Cactus League finale and homered twice. He'll make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start behind the dish.
First baseman (1): Carlos Santana
A veteran of 16 Major League seasons with a career .352 on-base percentage, Santana opens his first season with the D-backs as the starter at first base. Pavin Smith will get plenty of reps here as well, but he'll likely see more time at designated hitter.
Second baseman (1): Ketel Marte
The D-backs are expecting big things from their three-time All-Star and two-time-defending Silver Slugger winner.
Shortstop (1): Geraldo Perdomo
Perdomo is coming off a career year in which he set personal highs in every offensive category, slashing .290/.389/.462 with an OPS+ of 136 and a 7.0 bWAR that led National League position players.
Third baseman (1): Nolan Arenado
Thanks to a January trade with the Cardinals, the D-backs are now suiting up the active player who has homered against them the most (32).
Outfielders (4): Corbin Carroll, Jordan Lawlar, Alek Thomas, Jorge Barrosa
Carroll will be ready for Opening Day after suffering a broken hamate early in camp. He'll start in right field most days, but who lines up to his right remains unclear as Lovullo has stated his intention to rotate center field between Thomas and Lawlar, with the other playing in left field. Whichever of those two hits better in April will go a long way toward determining who gets the everyday reps in center when left fielder Gurriel returns in May.
Barrosa, an excellent defender who can play all three positions, is out of Minor League options, so it'll be interesting to see whether he can hold this roster spot once Gurriel is back.
Designated hitter (1): Pavin Smith
Smith, who can also play first base and the outfield corners, will likely see most of his time at DH as long as the D-backs are healthy and the 39-year-old Santana is holding down first.
Utility/bench (2): Tim Tawa, Ildemaro Vargas
Vargas made the team as a non-roster invitee who is now in his fourth go-round with the club. He'll provide depth at all four infield positions.
Tawa played everywhere but catcher, pitcher and shortstop last year in his rookie season. Lovullo sung the pair's praises before the exhibition-season finale on Tuesday.
"What I love most about them is that they're gamers," Lovullo said. "They are just baseball players to the core, they're great human beings that care deeply about their teammates, and they happen to be very gifted athletes."
Rotation (5): Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, Brandon Pfaadt
Burnes will miss the first few months in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and Kelly’s back issue will keep him out of his previously scheduled Opening Day start. That honor now goes to Gallen, who will make his fourth. Kelly will likely join the rotation sometime after the D-backs' first homestand.
Bullpen (8): Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, Taylor Clarke, Ryan Thompson, Jonathan Loáisiga, Joe Ross, Andrew Hoffmann, Juan Morillo
This was the hardest group to project during Spring Training, but Lovullo and Co. finally landed on their final eight by appointing non-roster invitees Loáisiga and Ross and optioning left-hander Brandyn Garcia to begin the season with Triple-A Reno. That move left them with an all-righty bullpen, but Lovullo is confident he has some "reverse-split guys" like Ginkel and Morillo who can keep lefty hitters in check.
The 'pen was a sore spot for the Diamondbacks last year, and they’ll be without co-closers Puk and Martinez for the first few months of the season.