Burnes (elbow/side) was cleared to begin a throwing program Friday after an MRI showed signs of healing, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Burnes has been on the injured list since June 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, though his time on the shelf was extended when he suffered a teres major strain while throwing to live hitters last month. Now that he's made encouraging progress in his recovery from both injuries, he's been given the green light to restart a throwing progam. It will take him a while to ramp up after missing more than a full season, though the team hasn't yet shut the door on Burnes returning before the end of the year.