D-backs’ Corbin Burnes appeared to have troubling message before exit
from Steve DelVecchio, at YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Arizona Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes left Sunday’s game prematurely with discomfort in his elbow, and the right-hander appeared to deliver a concerning message to a team trainer before exiting.
The Diamondbacks had a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning of their game against the Washington Nationals when Burnes allowed a two-out single to shortstop C.J. Abrams. Following the line drive, Burnes motioned to the dugout and shouted in frustration.
Burnes had a brief conversation with a Diamondbacks team trainer and appeared to say something about his elbow. There is speculation that Burnes told the trainer his elbow is “done” or “dead.”
ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that Burnes had lost velocity on his cut fastball before being pulled from the game.
The Diamondbacks held on to win, 3-1, but they were in no mood to celebrate afterward. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that Burnes is dealing with “right elbow discomfort” and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Burnes signed a six-year, $210M contract with Arizona during the offseason. He is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA through 11 starts and has been as good as advertised. Losing him for any significant amount of time would be a crushing blow to the Diamondbacks.