Subbing for Burnes, Nelson 'came out hot' vs. Mets in 1st start

PHOENIX – For the first time this season, Ryne Nelson emerged from the home dugout and skipped over the white chalk of the third-base line to throw the game’s opening pitch.

In many ways, his inclusion as part of the club’s relief corps to open the season is directly tied to Corbin Burnes’ decision to sign with the D-backs this offseason. So it seemed fitting that as Burnes battles right shoulder inflammation -- which still has him on track to start Saturday vs. the Dodgers -- it was Nelson who stepped in for the spot start against the Mets in a 5-4 loss on Monday night at Chase Field.

"Nelly is as tough a young player I've seen,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We've asked him to do a lot -- he always seems to rise to the occasion and just get the worm to turn in the right direction because he believes in himself and he's able to execute at a high level.”

In totality, the triumvirate of Nelson, José Castillo and Juan Morillo re-created Burnes in the aggregate by turning in what was essentially a quality start: six innings of two-run ball, keeping a potent Mets offense in check with just three hits.

But things went sideways in the seventh inning as the Mets tacked on three more runs. An eighth-inning D-backs rally featured a two-RBI single from Eugenio Suárez that would have been a home run in 21 of the 30 Major League parks. Alek Thomas’ caught stealing in the ninth inning -- on the fastest pop time of Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez’s career -- led to the club’s record in one-run games dropping to 5-7 on the year.

A club that played a grueling six-game stint on the East Coast arrived home to the pageantry of its new City Connect uniforms being unveiled, just to be met by a raucous crowd that featured a sizable Mets contingent.

Nelson’s velocity enjoyed an early bump from the charged atmosphere, with his slider and curveball averaging nearly two mph more through his first inning of work. He threw seven fastballs at least 97 mph, including three of his 10 hardest offerings yet in 2025.

"Stuff came out hot today,” Lovullo said of Nelson, who was working with a rigid 70-75 pitch count. “I just think he did everything he could, given the circumstances. He did a really nice job for us.”

"It was cool,” Nelson said, “but at the same time, trying not to get too amped up about it. Just treating it like any other outing.”

Some of Nelson’s relief outings this season have varied wildly: three no-hit frames against the Orioles on April 7, five earned runs while getting just two outs vs. the Cubs on April 18 and, of course, the four no-hit frames he spun against New York last Tuesday in Queens. Whereas he peppered the strike zone with first-pitch strikes to 10 of the 13 batters he faced in his outing vs. the Mets on the road, his home appearance was diametrically opposite.

Until Tyrone Taylor roped a triple off Nelson in the third, the right-hander had thrown a first-pitch ball to each of the first eight batters he faced. By the time he was done, he had started from behind in the count in 11 of 18 at-bats, ending his outing by plunking Francisco Lindor.

"Definitely wasn't the game plan to nibble like I was,” Nelson said. “I think when it's the deal of going through a lineup three or four times, the more you see somebody, the more they kind of understand what you're doing. But at the same time, I think I trust my stuff and just wasn't able to execute quite as [well] as I would have liked to.”

Anytime a top-flight starter is forced to miss a start, it’s never ideal. But returning with wipeout stuff in short order isn’t without precedent: Royals ace Cole Ragans did just that Monday, striking out 11 in his first start back (albeit from a groin strain) from a skipped turn.

For now, Burnes -- who continued his throwing program Monday and reportedly feels good -- remains the unofficial probable for Saturday in front of what will likely be a lively crowd for a divisional showdown with the Dodgers. But should the D-backs need to pivot, Nelson will be in line to take the ball.

"I'm happy for him that there was a chance to be back in the rotation,” Thomas said of Nelson. “He showed what he can do for us and he put us in a good spot in order to help us win the game, but we fell a little short.”