Pirates pitcher Nick Burdi avoids major biceps injury, won’t need surgery, report says

The 26-year-old Burdi, a former Rule 5 pick, previously worked his way back from Tommy John surgery

Pirates right-hander Nick Burdi, in the eighth inning of Monday's eventual loss to the Diamondbacks, delivered a pitch to Jarrod Dyson and suffered what appears to be a major arm injury. Here's the frightening scene on the mound in Arizona: 

"It takes the breath right out of you," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of seeing his pitcher collapse on the mound (via MLB.com's Adam Berry). "You love to compete, you love to watch young men play, then that's the hard part of it when something like that happens."

The team later announced that Burdi exited the game with elbow and biceps pain and that he was being further examined. Fortunately, it appears that Burdi has reportedly avoided major injury:

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

A former Rule 5 pick, the 26-year-old Burdi has struggled this season in terms of run prevention, but his elite velocity in tandem with his 17 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings meant he had a notable role in the Pittsburgh bullpen. 

Burdi previously worked his way back from Tommy John surgery.