UPDATE: The Pirates announced Burnett will miss four weeks.
AJ Burnett was diagnosed w/a flexor strain in his right elbow today. He received a PRP injection & estimated time of return is approx 4 wks.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 3, 2015
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the lead of the National League wild-card race and the San Francisco Giants are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot. However, a couple of recent injuries could affect their standing among the MLB's best.
Pittsburgh placed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list last week with elbow inflammation. On Monday it was revealed the right-hander was diagnosed with a strain flexor tendon, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, and he will undergo treatment to try and return this season.
Burnett is expected to retire at year's end, but he had a tremendous first half in the 2015 MLB season. The Pirates looked like they would have a scary 1-2-3 punch in the postseason with Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano and Burnett, but the 38-year-old was 2-2 with a 5.84 ERA in six starts last month and there's a decent chance he may not pitch again this year.
"It is difficult," Burnett said Sunday, via Joey Nowak of MLB.com. "In my mind, surgery is not an option. I'd built up some pain tolerance. It comes and goes, part of doing this 16 years. You figure out what you can and can't do."
"The soreness is a lot better, the stiffness is a lot better," he added, via Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I don't expect it to go away and I don't expect it to get better."
Morosi also noted Burnett's ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is intact, which provides some hope, but flexor tendons are nagging injuries and it could definitely affect his ability to come back in the short-term.
As for the Giants, second baseman Joe Panik was placed on the 15-day DL on Monday with lower back inflammation, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 24-year-old missed last week's games on Tuesday and Wednesday, but returned for the weekend series against the Texas Rangers before re-aggravating the area running the bases on Saturday, Shea reported yesterday.
Panik was batting .309/.374/.443 with 56 runs scored, 7 home runs and 35 RBIs in 97 games during his first All-Star season before the injury, but now the Giants will have to figure out a solution. The team called up middle infield prospect Kelby Tomlinson, who has played 65 game at second base this season between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento.
It's possible the 25-year-old makes his MLB debut this week against the Atlanta Braves, but backup infielder Ehire Adrianza is starting at second base tonight for the series opener. Tomlinson is batting .321/.376/.414 with 64 runs scored, 3 home runs, 43 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 97 games in the minors this season while Adrianza has seen limited action with the Giants this year (15 games, 26 plate appearances).
San Francisco will need Panik -- who has been one of the best all-around second basemen in the MLB this season -- back as soon as he's ready.
