Arizona Diamondbacks fans can breathe a sigh of relief amid Corbin Burnes’ latest injury scare.
Burnes was cruising during the early parts of his team’s Sunday showdown against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. He gave up just three hits and a walk through four scoreless innings.
Trouble started to brew in the fifth inning. A Jose Tena groundout and a Daylen Lile strikeout gave Burnes two quick outs on just seven pitches. But the Cy Young winner saw a noticeable drop in velocity in his cutter, which dipped from 94-95 mph to 91-92 mph against Tena and Lile.
Burnes struggled to get the final out against Nationals star CJ Abrams. The shortstop eventually worked a full count and hit a single to right field. As Abrams dashed toward first base, the Diamondbacks pitcher immediately gestured to his dugout to get a trainer to come over. Burnes yelled in frustration as he awaited help, making the issue seem deeply concerning.
Corbin Burnes just left his start for Arizona after an apparent arm injury. His cutter velocity had dipped two to three ticks before that. pic.twitter.com/z1ktHvURRJ
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 1, 2025
Burnes was immediately taken out of the game, one out shy of five innings. He allowed four hits and a walk, and was charged for an earned run as Abrams came around to score. The Diamondbacks held on for a 3-1 victory.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, there’s “initial cautious optimism” that Burns “avoided serious injury.” The Diamondbacks labeled the issue as inflammation in the right-hander’s throwing elbow.
Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes left today’s game with inflammation in his elbow and there’s initial cautious optimism that he avoided serious injury.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 1, 2025
Burnes is in the midst of a standout first season with the Diamondbacks. He entered Sunday’s contest with a 2.72 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 10 starts.
The Diamondbacks signed Burnes to the largest contract in franchise history in the offseason. The team will likely take every precaution to ensure its top asset makes a full recovery.
