There's 'Cautious Optimism' Former Orioles Ace Corbin Burnes Has No Serious Injury

The Baltimore Orioles former ace Corbin Burnes is dealing with an elbow ailment that may not be serious.

Jun 1, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) reacts after an injury in the fith inning and leaves the field against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

One of the biggest losses any team suffered this past offseason was the Baltimore Orioles saying goodbye to their ace, Corbin Burnes.

Not only is losing a player of that caliber difficult to overcome, the team did very little in the way of replacing him adequately.

The Orioles opted not to go to the top of the market for another ace, instead deciding to emphasize depth. It was a questionable decision at the time and is one of the major reasons the team is in the position they are right now; in the cellar of the American League East.

Alas, moving on from Burnes and not signing him to a massive long-term contract, such as the six-year, $210 million deal he agreed to with the Arizona Diamondbacks, could have been a bullet dodged by Baltimore.

That is because on Sunday, during his start against the Washington Nationals, he could be seen mouthing some discouraging words to the trainers when they came out to check on him after surrendering a single to CJ Abrams in the top of the fifth inning with two outs.

How Serious Is Corbin Burnes' Elbow Injury?

Burnes was forced from the game with what looked to be an elbow injury, as he could be seen saying, "my elbow's done, it's dead,” before being removed from the contest.

It will be something worth keeping an eye on, as he is set to undergo an MRI on Monday.

Corbin Burnes left today's game after an apparent elbow injury

"My elbow's done, it's dead." pic.twitter.com/UuVfu4agwn

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 1, 2025

However, in a bit of positive news, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that Burnes is dealing with inflammation in his elbow and the Diamondbacks have “cautious optimism” that he was able to avoid any serious injury.

That would be a best-case scenario for Arizona, who are now three games under the .500 mark, falling eight games behind in the NL West race.

This will be something to keep an eye on.

While Burnes is no longer with the Orioles, he was a great teammate during his time in Baltimore, so seeing him go down with a serious arm injury would be tough.