The Arizona Diamondbacks have reassured fans that Corbin Burnes’ shoulder issue is not a major concern, but there are still some who are anxious about the well-being of the high-priced starting pitcher.
Manager Torey Lovullo announced on Saturday that Burnes will be held out of his next start due to shoulder inflammation, as reported by the Arizona Republic. Lovullo expressed optimism that the 30-year-old Burnes will be able to make his next scheduled start and hopefully avoid a stint on the injured list.
According to the Republic:
“I think it had probably been a start or two that he had been expressing that and feeling (fatigue in his shoulder),” Lovullo said before the second game of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on May 3.
“We were with him. ‘What are you thinking? What do you want to do?’ He’s like, ‘I’m good, let me just keep going.’ At some point, we just all decided the best thing to do, to get ahead of it, is let’s examine it, get some imaging, pull back if we need to and let him potentially skip a start, and he should be good for the rest of the year.”
Burnes, who signed a lucrative six-year, $210 million contract with Arizona last offseason, has not quite lived up to expectations on the mound. Despite a 3.58 ERA in six starts, his underlying numbers suggest cause for concern, with a 5.08 FIP and declining strikeout and walk rates.
Arizona will be hoping that Burnes’ shoulder issue is the root cause of his struggles and that it is a temporary setback. With a competitive NL West division to contend with, the Diamondbacks can ill afford a prolonged absence from their star pitcher.
Although currently sporting a winning record of 17-15, the Diamondbacks find themselves in fourth place in the division, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by five games.