"MLB's gonna tell you it's not pitch clock related” - Orioles ace Corbin Burnes ponders latest pitching injury crisis
Orioles ace Corbin Burnes was one among several players that opened up about MLB's pitch clock rule. With pitchers getting injured often, there has been controversy surrounding the pitch clock rule. Many believe that the 15 and 20-second timer has led to further injuries.
In the past week alone, more than four pitchers have been sidelined with injuries. Spencer Strider, Jonathan Loáisiga, Shane Bieber, and Eury Pérez to name a few. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Astors' Framber Valdez have also been dealing with elbow soreness.
Looking at the latest and swift injuries, Burnes made a bold statement. He stated that the long-term injuries in the last two years are something serious to consider. The 29-year-old also believes that the league will not agree that such injuries are related to the pitch clock rule.
"MLB's gonna tell you it's not pitch clock related. I would argue that long-term injuries are up the last two years, and the rate we're having injuries this year is nothing like we've ever seen before," Burnes said.
Burnes believes the issue has to be addressed before it gets worse and a lot of pitchers get injured.
"There's a problem, it's got to be fixed. You hate seeing guys go down. A lot of these are career-changing injuries for guys, so it sucks to see. We'll see what happens," Burnes continued.
"Shortening the recovery is going to have some repercussion" - Corbin Burnes
According to Corbin Burnes, reducing the recovery time is only going to cause further damage. He added that pitchers are under pressure and placing a clock will not help them recover between starts.
"Shortening the recovery is going to have some repercussion and I think we've seen it the last two years," Burnes said.
Despite the rule in place, Burnes seems to be adjusting well to the situation. The talented pitcher already has 20 strikeouts with a 2-0 record and an ERA of 1.93. The Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is also one of the other pitchers who is frustrated with the issue.