Pirates’ Burnett hopes to pitch again this season

During his last start against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, Burnett was removed from the game after 4.1 innings due to right-elbow inflammation. “In my mind, surgery is not an option either way”. If tests Monday show that Burnett is dealing with any structural damage to a tendon or ligament, the veteran right-hander seems content to hang up his cleats for good. A UCL injury could have meant an end to both his season and career, which he has previously said would likely end after 2015.

The 38-year-old Burnett said Monday that “I’m going to do everything I can to make it back”. In any case, we’ll know more tomorrow about how much, or whether, he’ll be able to contribute. Burnett’s injury is still one that carries some significance to it. In fact, a former teammate of Burnett’s with the Pirates has gone through the same injury and history for him suggests Burnett may not be effective. The Pirates acquired Seattle Mariners left-hander J.A. Happ at the trade deadline Friday to take Burnett’s spot in the rotation.

Burnett received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his arm before leaving the doctor Monday to speed up the recovery process.

As Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted, Jason Grilli had a right flexor strain in 2013 and was sidelined by the injury for six weeks.