Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes scratched from start with shoulder inflammation, 1 month into $210M contract
The Arizona Diamondbacks say Corbin Burnes' shoulder issue isn't serious, but that isn't going to stop some from worrying about the nine-figure starting pitcher.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that the team is scratching Burnes from his next start due to shoulder inflammation, per the Arizona Republic. He reportedly added the club is hopeful the 30-year-old Burnes can make his next scheduled start and will not require a trip to the 15-day IL.
From 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 here 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 is one month into a six-year, $210 million contract he signed with Arizona last offseason, one of the largest deals any player signed in free agency. His results so far have not quite been the Cy Young-worthy numbers the D-Bbacks were likely hoping for.
His 3.58 ERA is above average and he's thrown 32 2/3 innings in six starts, but he is vastly overperforming his 5.08 FIP and is on pace for career worsts in both strikeout rate (20.0%) and walk rate (12.1%). Even more concerning is that his strikeout rate had already decreased for five straight seasons before joining the D-backs, and his signature cutter is down from an average of 95.3 mph in 2024 to 93.9 mph in 2025.
Arizona will be hoping a) those issues will be fully attributable to his shoulder issue and b) that issue is merely a short-term problem. Otherwise, they will be facing a major headwind as they try to keep pace in the absurdly competitive NL West.
Despite holding a 17-15 record, making them one of eight teams above .500 in the NL, they entered Saturday in fourth place in their division, five games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
2x WNBA Champion Speaks on Playing Alongside Satou Sabally
2x WNBA Champion Speaks on Playing Alongside Satou Sabally originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Mercury improved to 8-4 in the 2025 WNBA season with a 76-70 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. The Mercury was led by Satou Sabally, who finished the contest with 22 points and nine rebounds. The two-time All-Star also had three assists, a steal and a block. Advertisement It was a group effort since her frontcourt co-star, Alyssa Thomas, found her teammates on the floor. Thomas had a double-double of 14 points and 13 assists on 63.6% shooting from the field. It was the team's second win in a row after they won over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, 93-80. Phoenix Mercury forward Kathryn Westbeld, guard Lexi Held, and forward Satou Scuteri-Imagn Images After the contest, Sabally's teammate, Sami Whitcomb, talked about what it was like to play with the star forward. "It's so fun playing with (Sabally), seeing her growth and development game by game," Whitcomb, who had 18 points off the bench, said. "She's not satisfied. She wants to be the best version of herself and it's fun to see her stand on that and show up every single day. Advertisement "She's finding ways to step up defensively, offensively, we had a game where we said, 'You're getting double teamed, you can kick it, you can find people more.' The next game, she had six or seven assists straight up." Whitcomb knows a thing or two about playing with a star player. During her stay with the Seattle Storm for six years, she played with Sue Bird, one of the best to ever play. She won two WNBA titles with Bird and has seen how great the former star is on the floor. Sabally has taken the next step in her stardom by averaging 20 points for the first time in her career. She's averaging 20.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists in her first year with the Mercury. Advertisement Related: WNBA Team Campaigns Forward's All-Star Bid This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Team Campaigns Forward's All-Star Bid
WNBA Team Campaigns Forward's All-Star Bid originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Mercury came out victorious in Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Aces. Led by All-Star forward Satou Sabally, the Mercury had a 76-70 victory over the Aces. Sabally had 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Advertisement The Mercury recognized the on-court brilliance of the star forward as she recorded her eighth 20-point game of the year. Due to her spectacular outing, Phoenix gave her credit and campaigned for her to be voted in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. If Sabally gets voted in, it'll be her third time to play in the prestigious annual event of the league. She made her first two All-Star games as part of the Dallas Wings. Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0).Steven Bisig-Imagn Images On X, the Mercury urged the fans to vote for the 2023 Most Improved Player to showcase her talent among some of the WNBA's best stars. "She's living proof that unicorns exist in the WNBA. Aside from that being a reason alone to vote for Satou, she just dropped her 8th 20+ point game! ⭐️" The Mercury posted. Sabally is averaging at least 20 points for the first time in her career. The 6-foot-4 power forward is averaging 20.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 40.4% shooting. Advertisement Following the game, the All-Star received one of the best compliments from Becky Hammon, the Aces' head coach. Hammon gave a shoutout to Sabally and veteran star Alyssa Thomas. "Alyssa Thomas is a matchup nightmare. As Satou is," Hammon said. Sabally is starting to make a name for herself in the WNBA. With her significant improvement, she has become one of the best players early in the 2025 campaign. Related: Satou Sabally Speaks on Playing Against Her Former WNBA Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 3 in Omaha
OMAMA, NE ― Day 3 of the 2024 College World Series saw Coastal Carolina become the first team to punch its ticket to the semifinals. The Chanticleers rode a strong start from Jacob Morrison to a 6-2 win over Oregon State. Meanwhile, Louisville stayed alive with an 8-3 win over Arizona in a game that was closer than it seemed, as the Cardinals scored six runs in the eighth inning after facing a 3-2 deficit. Advertisement Louisville will face the Beavers in an elimination game June 17 (2 p.m. ET), with the winner advancing to the semifinals and needing to beat Coastal Carolina twice. Here were the winners and losers from Day 3 at Charles Schwab Field: WINNERS Small ball There were three home runs hit during Day 3 in Omaha: one by Arizona and two for Oregon State. Both of those teams lost. Louisville, which won the first game, had just one extra-base hit, a double. Coastal Carolina, the winner of the second game, had two doubles. The Chanticleers had two sacrifice bunts; Louisville had one sac and a bunt hit. The Cardinals also stole three bases and took advantage of errors. Mid-majors Unlike in basketball, where mid-major powerhouses often make the Final Four or even win titles, it's become increasingly difficult for mid-majors to do well in the College World Series. Advertisement Before Coastal Carolina's run, the last mid-major to compete in the semifinals in Omaha was also the Chanticleers in 2016, when they won the national title. Before that, the last teams to do it were Fresno State and San Diego in 2008, the former of which won the national title. Paul Skenes For a player who is notably playing in MLB currently and whose former team didn't play, Paul Skenes got some airtime on Day 3. First came the reports that Skenes, the former LSU pitcher and 2023 College World Series Most Outstanding Player, would be attending the Tigers' winners bracket game on June 16. Then, a graphic on the ESPN broadcast compared Coastal Carolina pitcher Jacob Morrison to Skenes. According to the graphic, those two pitchers had the most starts with six or more innings pitched and one or fewer runs allowed in the last five seasons. Morrison pitched 7⅔ innings of one-run ball against Oregon State. LOSERS Defense In the pitcher-friendly Charles Schwab Field, the impact of any defensive mistake is magnified. Oregon State and Arizona learned that lesson the hard way. Advertisement The Wildcats committed two errors and allowed four unearned runs amid a six-run eighth inning for Louisville. That included a throwing error by the shortstop on a routine play and the pitcher dropping the ball on a rundown at home plate. The Beavers also allowed four unearned runs thanks to two different errors, one that allowed Caden Bodine to reach to lead off the game and a second when Bodine hit what should've been an inning-ending double play in the fourth inning, but the second baseman booted the ball, leading to one run, and another run scored on a wild pitch afterwards. Hot mics During the College World Series, umpires are mic'd up. That helps make calls more clear, but several players didn't realize the mics were on and were audibly heard shouting expletives after at-bats that didn't go their way. Advertisement Program loyalty: Oregon State, Coastal Carolina baseball led by former players in College World Series 2025 The (former) Pac-12 The league formerly known as the Pac-12 made waves by getting three teams into Omaha, now in two different conferences and one independent, something that the actual Pac-12 hadn't done in decades. But one of those teams, Arizona, has already been eliminated, and Oregon State will face elimination after falling to Coastal Carolina. UCLA is in the winner's bracket, but will be a heavy underdog to LSU. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers from Day 3 of College World Series in Omaha
