When the Diamondbacks open their season at Dodger Stadium on Thursday evening, March 26, they will be doing so without the best version of their roster.
Their ace starting pitcher, Corbin Burnes, is on the injured list. So is the pitcher, Merrill Kelly, whom they initially chose to replace Burnes to start on Opening Day. They also are down their top two relief pitchers and their starting left fielder.
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And, of course, they are opening against baseball’s financial and performance juggernaut, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are spending nearly $400 million on their payroll — roughly twice the Diamondbacks’ payroll — after having won the World Series in back-to-back seasons and three of the past six.
Ready or not, here comes the season.
“The Dodgers are good,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “They’re the two-time defending world champions. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m loving the fact that we’re going to LA to open up the season. It’s going to be a really good test for us.”
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) steals second against Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) steals second against Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after scoring on a Ildemaro Vargas (6) 2-RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt (86) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) hits a sacrifice bunt against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt (86) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Gerardo Carrillo (68) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Noah Miller (88) singles to right against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Zach Ehrhard (99) reacts after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
A vendor sells beer on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits an RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Payton Martin throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) lined out to center against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) reacts after scoring on an RBI-double by Nolan Arenado (28) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Noah Miller (88) singles to right, then takes third on fielding errors by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) lined out to center against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after hitting an RBI-double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) leaves the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Fans fill the left field lawn in the third inning to watch the Dodgers play the D-Backs on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) runs for third on an RBI-double by Nolan Arenado (28) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) reacts after walking Arizona Diamondbacks Tim Tawa (13) in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) is out at second on a double play by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland (76) in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith (26) grounds into a double play against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) fist-pumps his players before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) reacts after reaching third base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) laughs with first baseman Pavin Smith (26) before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) reacts after facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt (86) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) and second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) get pumped up before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Diamondbacks, Dodgers meet for Cactus League matchup
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) watches the action against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning on Feb. 25, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
Whether or not Lovullo actually loves it, he is right about it being a test. It always is. For years, trips to Dodger Stadium were disasters, opportunities for the Diamondbacks to invent new, excruciating ways to lose.
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In more recent years, the Diamondbacks have been far more competitive. For one, their team as a whole has been better. But players also say they believe their division series sweep of the Dodgers in 2023 changed the feel of trips to Los Angeles.
“It’s not as intimidating as it once was,” first baseman Pavin Smith said. “We’ve gone in there and won before, so I think that’s the confidence that we have that we’ll take in there now.”
Said reliever Ryan Thompson: “I think you need to have some of those experiences of, like, not only can we hang with them, but we can dominate them. Even if it’s just for a series. That gives you that confidence to know that we can hang with these guys.”
The series will serve as a barometer for the Diamondbacks bullpen, a group that has struggled in recent seasons. All right-handed at the moment — one of the final cuts of spring training was that of lefty Brandyn Garcia, who struggled in camp to throw strikes — the group will be leaning again on a trio of veterans who helped key the club’s World Series run in 2023: Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel and Thompson.
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If the group struggles again, it will put additional pressure on both the lineup and the starting rotation. The lineup is not as potent on paper as it has been in previous years, but with Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo leading the way, it still offers upside.
The rotation is filled with experience. It also has no shortage of pitchers coming off down years. Right-hander Zac Gallen will start the opener and will be followed by right-hander Ryne Nelson and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Michael Soroka and Brandon Pfaadt will face the Detroit Tigers at home next week.
Gallen, Rodriguez and Pfaadt all are looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons. Kelly could be back within two weeks; Burnes is targeting a return in July.
Things should get easier once the Diamondbacks leave Los Angeles. But not by much. They face playoff teams in six of their next 10 series, and three of the other four series are against teams expected to contend.
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“This is the major leagues, right? Everybody is a good team,” Soroka said. “Obviously, in our division with the Dodgers, everybody knows they’re the team to beat, so why not start with them?”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks ready to open season vs. 2-time champion Dodgers