Former Brewers' ace suffers brutal setback in road to recovery from Tommy John surgery

The Milwaukee Brewers' trade of 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles back in February of 2024 kicked off a string of three consecutive offseasons in which Milwaukee's front office dealt an All-Star pitcher who was entering his final year before free agency. Closer Devin Williams was traded to the New York Yankees prior to the 2025 campaign, and this past January the Brewers completed a blockbuster with the New York Mets that ended Freddy Peralta's tenure in Milwaukee.

It's a frustrating reality for the small-market Brewers, brought on by the financial disparity that exists in today's MLB. Without the resources to sign their homegrown stars to long-term deals or compete on the free agent market, Milwaukee is forced to use their player capital to continue to better their organization -- a strategy that's yielded the Brew Crew division titles in each of the last two seasons.

However, while the team has found success in the wake of the Burnes deal back in 2024, the specific players the Brewers acquired in said deal have had inconsistent careers in Milwaukee. Joey Ortiz was impressive in his breakout season back in 2024, with 3.2 fWAR to prove it, but in 2025 and through the first two months of the 2026 season, he has struggled mightily at the plate, and calls for his replacement as the Brewers' shortstop are growing louder. Meanwhile, DL Hall, the other player Milwaukee acquired in the Burnes blockbuster, has converted into a reliever after a shaky, injured-riddled debut season in Milwaukee's starting rotation. Though Hall has revamped his arsenal and found success in the Brewers' bullpen, not being a starting pitcher changes the calculation of Milwaukee's trade with Baltimore.

That said, it's important to consider the alternative when evaluating the Brewers' 2024 blockbuster with the Orioles, which also netted them a first-round pick that Milwaukee used to select No. 16-ranked prospect Blake Burke. The reality that frustrated most Brewers fans at the time was that their team couldn't afford to sign Burnes to a long-term deal. However, long-term deals carry risk that an organization like Milwaukee simply can't add to their financial situation, and Burnes' latest injury update further emphasizes that point.

Nearing a return from Tommy John surgery, Corbin Burnes suffers setback and won't return until September

Burnes was dominant in his lone season with the Orioles before he reached free agency. The former Cy Young Award winner posted a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts and was named to the American League All-Star team. In that regard, the Orioles did very well in the trade with the Brewers, though they still failed to win a postseason game in 2024.

The excellent performance two seasons ago earned Burnes a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency prior to the 2025 campaign. The right-hander made 11 starts for the D-Backs at the beginning of last season and was his usual productive self -- 2.66 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP -- but in early June, he was placed on the IL with right elbow inflammation. A few days later, it was revealed that Burnes needed season-ending Tommy John surgery, which he underwent shortly thereafter.

The initial prognosis for Burnes was that he would be out until August of this year, but the now-31-year-old was making great progress and told reporters at the beginning of the season that he expected to be back closer to the All-Star break.

Unfortunately, during his recovery process, Burnes suffered a teres major -- a shoulder muscle -- strain and now won't be back on the mound until at least September of this year, as initially reported by Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic yesterday afternoon.

It's undoubtedly a frustrating situation for Burnes, whose prime was extending into his 30s prior to the injury. The Brewers' 2016 4th-round pick was showing no signs of slowing down before being dealt a major obstacle. Burnes was in a stretch of four consecutive All-Star Game appearances before his 2025 season was cut short in June, and now it appears his availability for the 2026 campaign is in question as well.

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