Jeff Passan from ESPN.com is reporting that an MRI on Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi revealed strained biceps tendon and flexor mass after injuring his arm on a pitch in last night’s game.
Considering how awful it looked, the preliminary exam on Pirates reliever Nick Burdi is promising: Nothing is fully torn or broken, source tells ESPN. MRI did reveal strained biceps tendon and flexor mass, which will sideline him indefinitely, but diagnosis would mean no surgery.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2019
Passan goes on to say that Burdi will seek a second opinion:
The plan is for Pirates reliever Nick Burdi to seek a second opinion, per source. The injury was so painful and the feeling so acute, Burdi wants to ensure that rehab is indeed the preferred course of action and he can avoid another procedure on his surgically repaired right arm.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2019
There is nothing from the Pirates yet since last night. Assuming these initial exam results are correct, then Burdi could possibly return later this season without any setbacks. A check of recovery time from strained biceps tendon suggests 3-4 months of rest and rehab is required. A flexor mass strain is a shorter recovery time. Depending on the severity, it could be two weeks to two months. While he is guaranteed to miss a large portion of the remaining schedule and possibly be out for the season, this can be taken as much better news than was expected after seeing Burdi’s reaction last night.
Any other updates on Burdi today will be posted here as an update, unless it’s part of the transaction to replace him on the active roster.
UPDATE from the Pirates doesn’t tell much, but confirms the second opinion:
Nick Burdi received an MRA this morning. The club is in the process of getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister.
