The Milwaukee Brewers, already dealing with an injury to one Cy Young contender, are now holding their breath about ace Corbin Burnes.
The right-hander left the game against the Seattle Mariners with one out in the sixth after throwing a pitch and then grasping at his chest.
Manager Craig Counsell wasted no time pulling the 2021 Cy Young Award winner.
Brewers ace Corbin Burnes leaves the game after “grasping at his chest.” pic.twitter.com/TUpqEKyEMh
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 18, 2023
Burnes had pitched well to that point, yielding just three hits and two earned runs. He has not been as effective as usual this season, with a 4.76 ERA in four starts.
The situation with Burnes comes at a terrible time for Milwaukee. On Saturday, the team announced that All-Star hurler Brandon Woodruff will miss extended time with a shoulder injury.
While surgery will not be required, Woodruff told reporters, “If this was something that happened midseason, All-Star break, right before or after that time, I would probably end up being done, to be honest, for the season,” he said.
Now all eyes are on Burnes. No team wants to lose a Cy Young contender, let alone two in such a short span. We won’t speculate on the cause or nature of the injury. However, Burnes appeared to be holding the left side of his chest, away from his throwing side.
In what could be an entirely unrelated matter, Burnes was involved in a tag play on a rundown to end the fourth inning in which he extended his left arm to tag Eugenio Suarez.
Corbin Burnes, Pick…and Patented "Pitchers Are Athletes" Sprint to the dugout. 😂 pic.twitter.com/qPWnxw1Pbi
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 18, 2023
The Brewers and their fans are hoping this is just some minor discomfort that will soon pass for Burnes. Regardless, it is always concerning to see a star player leave a game in this fashion.
