Nationals reliever Sean Burnett had surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow, according to the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore.
The surgery should not interrupt his throwing schedule, Kilgore said. Given that it's the offseason, Burnett is expected to take a few weeks off from throwing. He shouldn't be restricted once he begins preparing for next season.
Burnett started to feel discomfort in his elbow around the All-Star break. The team diagnosed the injury, but didn’t confirm the reports until the final week of the season. Burnett pitched through the pain through the entire second half.
While Burnett wore down a bit during the final months of the season, his overall numbers were solid. In 56 2/3 innings pitched, Burnett had a 2.38 ERA and a 2.79 FIP. He struck out over a batter per inning for the first time in his career.
Kilgore expects Burnett to become a free-agent this offseason. He is expected to turn down his $3.5 million mutual option in order to make more money on the market. Burnett would like to stay in Washington, and the two sides did discuss a contract during the year. The team has until five days after the World Series to exclusively negotiate with Burnett. If that period ends without a deal, Burnett would be free to sign with any team.
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