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An already beleaguered Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff is in serious danger of hitting rock bottom. Corbin Burnes suffered an elbow injury during Sunday's 3-1 win versus the Washington Nationals, immediately calling for the trainer after allowing a base-hit to CJ Abrams in the top of the fifth inning. He raised anxiety levels even further with an ominous statement about his condition. The Snakes and their fans desperately hope that a bit of unforeseen fortune drops in the Desert.
One has to be realistic, however. It is hard to express optimism about an elbow issues, especially since this one induced obvious discomfort. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo understands the situation and is prepared to handle a catastrophe if necessary.
“It's a gut punch, for sure,” he said, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. “He’s tough and he rarely complains about anything. So when you see him wave the trainer and the coaches out there, you're just holding your breath and it's tough. It's very tough. We're with [Burnes], and we’ll be as positive as possible.
“If it is the worst-case news, we have guys that are ready to step in, and we're very capable of putting people in there to help us win baseball games. But still, I'm with Corbin right now, and it's definitely a gut punch.”
Between the starting rotation and bullpen, there are few pitchers Lovullo can trust right now. Burnes, a former Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star, is one of the most consistent hurlers in the sport today. He is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings. Despite the confidence Arizona's skipper is expressing in the rest of his staff, the team may not have the adequate reinforcements to survive a potential season-ending injury to its ace.
Heck, the Diamondbacks are already scuffling with him on the roster, losing nine of their last 11 games and falling far behind in the daunting National League West. The offense ranks in the top-five in several categories, including runs scored, home runs, OPS, slugging and on-base percentage, making it crystal clear what the biggest culprit is for Arizona's disappointing positioning in the standings.
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Can the Diamondbacks stop the bleeding?
Zac Gallen is imploding in a contract year, posting a 5.54 ERA while walking 11 percent of the batters he is facing this season. Eduardo Rodriguez, who is not even halfway through his $80 million deal, had a 7.05 ERA and a .532 slugging percentage allowed before landing on the 15-day injured list in May. Brandon Pfaadt allowed eight runs without recording an out on Saturday. Apart from Burnes, Merrill Kelly is the only full-time starter with a sub-4.00 ERA. The relief unit is just as volatile.
A poor and injury-marred bullpen is responsible for several excruciating losses in 2025, a troubling trend that could continue if the squad loses Corbin Burnes for an extended period of time. The Diamondbacks signed the superb right-hander to a six-year, $210 million contract this past offseason, in the hopes that he could push the club back into contention after they fell agonizingly short of a playoff berth in 2024. Regardless of what the prognosis is regarding his elbow injury, that plan is not working so far.
Torey Lovullo must get his guys in the proper frame of mind before an important six-game road trip. Arizona has a day to process its currently vulnerable state before battling the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
