Corbin Burnes injury update: Diamondbacks ace lands on IL with right elbow inflammation after leaving start
Burnes signed a six-year, $210 million free-agent contract with Arizona over the winter

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes was placed on the injured list on Tuesday with right elbow inflammation, just a few days after he exited Sunday's start against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning. Burnes, who called for the trainer after allowing a single to Washington shortstop CJ Abrams, underwent an MRI on Monday and will visit orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles later this week for another opinion, according to manager Torey Lovullo.
In a corresponding move, the D-backs recalled left-hander Tommy Henry from Triple-A Reno.
Burnes had tallied 4 ⅔ scoreless innings against the Nationals before leaving early. He allowed four hits and a walk, all the while striking out six of the 19 batters he faced. Reliever Jalen Beeks would subsequently allow an inherited runner to score, with that run being charged to Burnes.
Burnes' velocity on his final two pitches were identical, with both cutters checking in at 91.5 mph -- a mark beneath both his game and seasonal velocity for that pitch type. Burnes' velocity across the entire game was down by nearly a tick compared to his norm.
The 30-year-old entered Sunday having amassed a 2.72 ERA (153 ERA+) and a 2.28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 10 outings. His contributions had been worth an estimated 1.9 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference. Moreover, Burnes had tallied nearly six innings per start to date, including in each of his last five starts.
Burnes, the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner, signed a six-year pact worth $210 million with the Diamondbacks over the offseason. He had been a reliable workhorse in recent years, averaging 31 starts from 2021-24. Burnes had also finished top five in Cy Young Award voting five years and counting, even last season, the first (and only) season of his career that he's spent in the American League.
After beating the Nationals 3-1 on Sunday, the Diamondbacks have a 28-31 record on the season, putting them in fourth place in the National League West. The D-backs are already down several other starters, including Jordan Montgomery and Blake Walston (Tommy John surgery) and Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder inflammation).