Pittsburgh's 12-4 loss to Arizona on Monday wasn't even the worst part of the Bucs' night.
Pirates pitcher Nick Burdi exited the game in the eighth inning while clutching his right biceps and elbow in obvious pain after tossing a 96-mph fastball to Diamondbacks outfielder Jarrod Dyson.
After releasing the ball, Burdi bent over, dropped to his knees and collapsed on the mound in tears in an emotional scene.
We wish a speedy recovery to Nick Burdi 🙏 Tonight he sustained an arm injury and fell to the ground in pain. He fought all the way back from Tommy John surgery in 2017, and he is currently being evaluated. pic.twitter.com/qNTAQZt5KB
— The Dugout (@dugoutonline) April 23, 2019
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Despite how much pain Burdi appeared to be in, ESPN reported Tuesday afternoon that a preliminary exam was "promising": Nothing is fully torn or broken, ESPN reported, citing unidentified sources. An MRI exam revealed a strained biceps tendon and flexor mass that will sideline him indefinitely, but the early diagnosis would mean no surgery.Burdi previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017.
Burdi, 26, entered Monday’s game in the seventh inning but surrendered a home run to Christian Walker before retiring Wilmer Flores. In the eighth, Burdi gave up three straight singles before Dyson came up to bat.
Through his first 10 games this season, Burdi had faced 34 batters, striking out 17 and walking two.
The 26-year-old was a second-round pick by the Twins in 2014 and fought tooth and nail to get to MLB battling command issues as well as injury problems. He made his major league debut in 2018 pitching in two games toward the end of the year.
This season marked the first opening day roster he had made.