When the dust settled on the 2022 MLB season, it became clear that the Milwaukee Brewers were likely parting ways with their ace, Corbin Burnes—the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner. Burnes had some unresolved issues with the Brewers stemming from an arbitration hearing ahead of the 2022 season, and with free agency looming, it was evident the team wouldn’t meet his financial expectations.
Ultimately, the Brewers traded Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, getting young talents DL Hall and Joey Ortiz in return. In his one season with the Orioles, Burnes showcased his elite pitching, finishing with a solid 15-9 record, a 2.92 ERA, and a 1.10 WHIP. While his strikeout total of 181 was his lowest over a full 162-game season, he still managed to earn a spot in his fourth consecutive All-Star game and finished fifth in the American League Cy Young voting.
As the offseason approached, Burnes expressed a strong desire to join a team on the West Coast. Major clubs were in the mix—think the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and marquee franchises like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. However, in a surprising twist, Burnes inked a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks—a move that caught everyone off guard. There hadn’t been any serious buzz indicating that Arizona was even in the conversation for the Cy Young winner.
Fast forward to the current season, and Burnes has made an immediate impact with the Diamondbacks. Through 10 starts, he boasts a 3-2 record, a 2.72 ERA, and a 1.17 WHIP, but his season took a concerning turn recently. During a game against the Washington Nationals, Burnes held a comfortable 3-0 lead in the fifth inning and was in control, racking up six strikeouts. That’s when things took a troubling turn. After allowing a two-out hit, he summoned the trainer to the mound.
In an upsetting moment, he was seen telling the trainer, “my elbow’s done, it’s dead,” raising alarms among fans and analysts alike. While no diagnosis has been confirmed, speculation about the potential for a torn UCL and the possibility of Tommy John surgery linger in the air—a fate no player wants to confront.
The baseball community has rallied around Burnes, feeling empathy for a pitcher who has faced challenges over the years. Fans’ reactions have ranged from reflections on the distressing nature of injuries to genuine hope that he can avoid a worst-case scenario. It’s moments like these that remind us how fragile success can be in this game. “Corbin would often annoy me as a pitcher by the end of his time in Milwaukee, but I understand what he’s feeling in that moment,” shared one fan. Another said, “It’s brutal for baseball.”
If it comes down to surgery, Burnes would be facing a significant recovery period, potentially missing not just the rest of this season but also the start of the next. Everyone in the baseball world will be watching closely, hoping for positive news about Burnes’ health and career moving forward.
