'My Elbow's Dead. It's Gone': Ominous Injury Looming for Corbin Burnes

Ominous elbow injury looming for Corbin Burnes

There are plenty of things you never want to hear from your ace starting pitcher, but safe to say that tops among them is his telling trainers in the middle of a game, "My elbow's done. It's dead."

I'm not @Jomboy_ BUT it looks like Corbin Burnes says "my elbow's done, it's dead" to the Dbacks trainer

NOT GREAT pic.twitter.com/2vbvxmZkjZ
— Dalton Feely (@dfeely14) June 1, 2025

Burnes immediately left the game in the bottom of the 5th inning after 70 pitches, and is having an MRI done.

What is Corbin Burnes's elbow injury?

He told the trainers that the tightness in his elbow was too much for him to bear, as he noticed a drop in velocity and a lack of control. “It just got to the point where the tightness was just too much,” said Burnes after the game. Although he said he didn't feel or hear a 'pop' that often signals a Tommy John surgery might be needed, he wanted to "shut things down before it got too bad... I’ve never had anything like it before.”

Regardless of the MRI results—even if they're clean—if former MLB general manager David Samson was running the Snakes, he wouldn't let Burnes take the mound again for at least a month.

Corbin Burnes elbow issue is the last thing the struggling Diamondbacks needed to happen. Do not bring him back for at least a month even if the MRI is clean. pic.twitter.com/UajWTrVO5k
— Nothing Personal with David Samson (@NPDSclips) June 2, 2025

Burnes was the D-Backs' big offseason signing, a six-year, $210 million contract for a former Cy Young winner, a four-time All-Star, and a model of consistency, whose ERA has only been above 2.94 once in the last six seasons. This year, he was at 2.66 with a 1.16 WHIP and a 63:26 K/BB ratio.

The Diamondbacks are holding their breath, awaiting further word.