The Arizona Diamondbacks have a serious pitching problem, but it's not the same one the D-backs faced in the 2025 season.

In 2025, the D-backs starting rotation — despite some admittedly poor run-prevention results — managed to provide one thing above all else: length. Arizona ranked second in the majors in innings per start at 5.5 last season , behind only the Philadelphia Phillies.

But that trend has begun to waver in recent days in 2026, and it's beginning to carry a ripple effect. Coming into Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, D-backs starters were providing an average of 5.0 innings per start — just below the 5.1 league average marker.

That average went down on Thursday, after Michael Soroka completed just three frames in his start.…