Arizona Diamondbacks ace right-hander Corbin Burnes shocked fantasy baseball circles when he departed his start against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning on June 1, 2025, due to what appeared to be a right elbow problem. According to reports from @jomboymedia Burnes told trainers after making a pitch, "My elbow is done, it's dead," which caused an instant concern about how significant an issue it could be. 

The right-hander, who signed a six-year, $210 million free-agent deal with Arizona over the winter, is to undergo an MRI on Monday to assess how much damage has been done per @UnderdogMLB

 


Corbin Burnes Injury Update

Burnes left after 4.2 innings of effort, where he allowed four hits and a walk and struck out six, one run earned on him after relief man Jalen Beeks allowed a single. 

Of most concern, his cutter velocity had declined by two to three ticks before he left, an area of concern for a pitcher who has had elite command and an inner-circle go-to pitch. 

The injury follows an initial bout of shoulder soreness early in May, which led him to miss one start but not an IL stint after an MRI revealed no structural issues. 

The new elbow problem, coupled with Burnes’ emotional response, has fantasy owners dreading potentially disastrous news, though.

 

Corbin Burnes Stats 2025

For all his rocky start to his Diamondbacks career, Burnes has shown his Cy Young best in 2025. He stands 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.77 BB/9, and 1.06 HR/9 over 59.2 frames and 10 outings. 

His 80.7% left-on-base rate and 49.1% ground-ball percentage paint the picture of his damage restriction ability, even if his walk rate (3.77 BB/9), career best, and strike rate (8.6 K/9), worst since 2024, are suboptimal. 

His 4.11 FIP and 3.8 xERA hint at regression from his shiny surface-level ERA, but Burnes is an elite fantasy player when healthy, and he has tallied 0.4 WAR through the year thus far.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks Depth Chart

The Diamondbacks rotation is thin to start with, and to lose Burnes would be a big blow. The depth chart presently stands at:

Given Rodriguez and Jameson are already out and Jordan Montgomery is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Arizona's pitching depth is decimated. 

If Burnes has to go onto the IL, fantasy players and Diamondbacks fans would look to Gallen, Kelly, Pfaadt, and Nelson to fill the gap, none of whom possess Burnes-like upside. 

Pfaadt and Nelson would benefit from a fantasy value increase if Burnes has to spend time sidelined but are unpredictable fill-in options based on their inconsistency.

 

Corbin Burnes Fantasy Baseball Outlook

For fantasy guys, Burnes’ injury stings. A mainstay for numerous pitching rotations, his potential absence—or if it’s the situation of an ugly elbow injury like a UCL sprain—has the ability to ruin fantasy seasons. 

Elbow injuries are finicky by their very nature, and with Burnes’ MRI looming, worst-case planning must be done while crossing one’s fingers for a less dire diagnosis like he suffered from his recent shoulder problem. 

Stashing Burnes on your IL is a must but acting now and picking up waiver-wire replacements like Pfaadt or Nelson or looking outside of the system for sturdier arms is needed. 

The Diamondbacks’ playoff hopes and your fantasy lineup hang by a thread till Monday’s ruling.