The Arizona Diamondbacks’ 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday was a much-needed breath of fresh air, but it came with a heavy dose of concern. Corbin Burnes, the team’s ace and a cornerstone of their rotation, exited the game in the fifth inning with right elbow discomfort, and the mood shifted from relief to anxiety. Burnes, who had just allowed a single to CJ Abrams, signaled to the dugout, and after a brief chat with the trainer and manager Torey Lovullo, he was pulled. The club announced he’d undergo an MRI on Monday to assess the damage. “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’ outing was solid before the injury, with 4 2/3 innings, one run, four hits, six strikeouts, and a walk. It was a continuation of a strong season for the 2021 NL Cy Young winner, who’s 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 64 1/3 innings. But the injury overshadowed everything. Jeff Passan noted on X that Burnes’ cutter velocity had dipped two to three ticks before he left, a worrying sign for a pitcher who’s been a stabilizing force since signing a six-year, $210 million deal this offseason. The Diamondbacks, now 28-31, had snapped a four-game losing streak, but the cost might be high.
Manager Torey Lovullo didn’t mince words. “I’m more than minimally concerned,” he said. “We’ll know more after the imaging.” The NL West is a dogfight, and the Diamondbacks can’t afford to lose Burnes for long. With the rotation already thin—Jordan Montgomery’s out for the season with Tommy John surgery, Eduardo Rodríguez is on the IL with a shoulder issue, and reliever A.J. Puk’s dealing with an elbow problem—Burnes’ potential absence is a nightmare scenario. MLB insider Jim Bowden’s recent video, as noted by the article, painted a frightening picture, suggesting the Diamondbacks are “screwed” without their ace. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile playoff hopes can be.
As the Diamondbacks prepare to open a new series, the focus is on Monday’s MRI results. The team’s in flux, and without Burnes, their postseason aspirations could be in jeopardy. Stay tuned, because this story’s got legs, and the Diamondbacks’ season hinges on what comes next. For now, it’s a waiting game, but the stakes couldn’t be higher.
