A.J. Burnett Progressing, Says It’s Almost “Time to Go”
Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher A.J. Burnett is ahead of the (conservative) recovery schedule the team placed on him following the injury he sustained in early March.
Burnett bunted a ball off his face during the team’s annual Spring Training bunting competition. The ball fractured the orbital bone by his right eye and required surgery.
The 35-year-old was originally scheduled to miss two-to-three months, but is progressing well and should return to game action sometime in April.
Burnett threw 52 pitches in his third bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Saturday, according to the team’s website. It’s been about three weeks since the surgery.
“It’s all a step-by-step process,” Burnett said. “I’ve got the simulated game coming up, and after that, it’ll be time to go.”
Time to go. Words every Pirate fan loves to hear, especially about their premier off-season acquisition.
Once he returns, the Pirates should have a formidable starting rotation with the likes of Burnett, Erik Bedard, Jeff Karstens, James McDonald and Charlie Morton. Kevin Correia seems the most likely candidate to head to the bullpen if the Pirates have six starters healthy, though early season performances could certainly have a say in that.
Scheduled off days mean the Pirates won’t really need a fifth starter until mid-April, and it will be among the team’s most interesting storylines to see how the starting rotation plays out. Both Karstens and Correia have recent bullpen experience, though Karstens’ performance as a starter last season seems to have earned him a spot in this year’s rotation.
Follow Troy on Twitter @TroyPfaff
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