RADIO
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
An elbow injury has kept Burnett out since July 30. It’s going to take over a month for the right-hander to return from a flexor strain in his right elbow. The 38-year-old received a platelet-rich plasma injection to help the healing process and apparently it has worked enough because he’s been throwing off a mound.
"There’s an intense want-to and I believe he’s also being smart with the guy he needs to be smart with, listening to, on the how-to on the [return-to-pitch] plan," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told The Post-Gazette.. "I think he’s healthy, proves he’s healthy, it could come sooner than later."
The 2015 All-Star is gunning a September return. Burnett owns a 3.06 ERA with 114 strikeouts, 1.34 WHIP with an 8-5 record. Burnett was great all season until his last few starts before landing on the DL. He allowed 18 runs over 16 innings pitched during his last three starts.
The Pirates hold a three-game lead for the first Wild Card spot in the NL and are creeping closer to the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central lead. They’re 3 1/2 games back and the return of a healthy Burnett could be what Pittsburgh needs to win the division.
