Arizona Diamondbacks standout right-hander Corbin Burnes exited Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning with right elbow discomfort and will undergo an MRI exam on Monday.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo didn’t attempt to mask his level of concern when he met with reporters after the 3-1 victory.
“Sometimes I tell you guys I’m minimally concerned,” Lovullo said. “I’m more than that.”
Burnes was trying to take the patient approach.
“I’ve never had anything like this before so I really have nothing to compare it to,” Burnes said. “I won’t really know until we look at it.”
Burnes allowed a two-out single to CJ Abrams and immediately motioned to the dugout for a trainer to come to the mound, then yelled in frustration. The conversation was brief with Burnes communicating that there was an issue with the elbow.
“He basically called us out there in the fifth inning,” Lovullo said. “He felt that his elbow was uncomfortable. As soon as you hear ‘elbow,’ you want to take your pitcher off of the mound.
“We’re going to remain as optimistic as possible that we’re going to get great news through the course of the MRI.”
Burnes, 30, said there was no particular pitch that gave him concern. He said it was a gradual situation where his velocity was diminishing.
“It started to get tight on me. I saw the velo starting to drop and the movement on my pitches,” Burnes said. “We kind of got to the point in the fifth inning where I tried two others time to put away Abrams and I just couldn’t do it. It got to the point where the tightness was too much and we didn’t feel like we needed to push any farther. Hopefully we caught it early, hopefully it’s not bad.”
Burnes, a four-time All-Star and 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner, is in his first season with the Diamondbacks after signing a six-year, $210 million deal in the offseason.
“It’s a gut-punch,” Lovullo said. “He’s tough. He rarely complains about anything. When you see him wave the trainer and coaches out there, you’re holding your breath. It’s tough, it’s very tough.”
Burnes gave up one run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings before his exit. He struck out six and walked one.
“It feels sad,” Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez said of Burnes’ injury. “He’s been pitching really well and then he left the game today with something in his elbow. I pray that we don’t miss him for a long time.”
Burnes is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts. He has struck out 63 in 64 1/3 innings.
Burnes is 63-38 with a 3.15 ERA and 1,114 strikeouts in 210 appearances (149 starts) in eight seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2018-23), Baltimore Orioles (2024) and Diamondbacks (2025).
Sunday’s victory was just the second in the past 11 games for Arizona.
–Field Level Media
