Pirates designate Nick Burdi for assignment after Tommy John

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This article was published 01/11/2020 (1971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated reliever Nick Burdi just weeks after the hard-throwing right-hander underwent Tommy John on his right elbow for the second time.

The team announced on Sunday that the 27-year-old Burdi had surgery to repair his right elbow on Oct. 14 in Dallas with Texas Rangers head team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Burdi initially received a Platelet-Rich Plasma injection in August after going on the injured list with what the team described as a forearm strain.

Burdi went 0-1 with his first big league save with a 3.86 ERA in three appearances in 2020 before going on the injured list. He was re-evaluated last month and surgery was recommended. The full recovery time is estimated at 16-18 months, ruling Burdi out for the 2021 season.

The setback is the latest in Burdi’s star-crossed career. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017 while pitching in the Twins’ organization. He reached the majors with the Pirates in 2018 and made the team out of spring training in 2019. He was off to a solid start when he went down against Arizona a couple of weeks into the season with a throbbing pain in his right arm.

He underwent surgery after being diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and began the truncated 2020 season as the team’s closer. His joy, however, was short-lived. He lasted just three games before getting hurt again.

Burdi had a $574,500 salary this year, reduced to $212,778 in prorated pay, and would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time.

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