Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Diamondbacks get brutal injury news on ace Corbin Burnes

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 6:05 PM ET

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes left his start on Sunday with discomfort in his elbow, and that is the last appearance the right-hander will make in 2025.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Friday that doctors have determined Burnes needs Tommy John surgery. That means the right-hander will miss the remainder of the season and potentially beyond.

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Corbin Burnes will undergo Tommy John surgery. Brutal loss for the D-backs in his first year of a six-year, $210 million contract.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 6, 2025

The Diamondbacks were leading 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning of their eventual 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday when Burnes became visibly frustrated and motioned to the dugout. He spoke with a member of Arizona's training staff and appeared to say that his elbow was "done" or "dead."

It seemed like Burnes had lost significant velocity on his fastball prior to exiting, which was a strong indicator that something was wrong.

Burnes signed a six-year, $210M contract with Arizona during the offseason. He will finish the season 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 63 strikeouts across 11 starts.

The Diamondbacks entered Friday with a record of 31-31 and in fourth place in the NL West. Burnes had been as good as advertised in his first year with the team, so losing him will be a major blow to Arizona's playoff hopes.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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