Pirates' A.J. Burnett might not pitch again following elbow injury

A.J. Burnett might have thrown his last pitch in the big leagues on Thursday night. Pittsburgh placed Burnett on the disabled list after he became bothered by pain in his right elbow, and according to MLB.com's Tom Singer, Burnett has no desire to undergo a procedure at this point in his career.

Burnett believes it is either an injury to his ulnar ligament or the flexor tendon. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and has had a notable amount of success with the Pirates in 2015. Over 135.1 innings, Burnett has posted a 3.06 ERA and 3.07 FIP.

Burnett, 38, told Singer he has been plagued by elbow problems throughout the course of his 17-year career however "it hasn't been anything to worry about."

Since the All-Star break, Burnett has struggled, posting a 10.13 ERA over 16.0 innings. He signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Pirates last winter and has pitched notably well. Pittsburgh acquired J.A. Happ before Friday's non-waiver trade deadline and still has a solid starting staff which features Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano.

Burnett announced he was planning to retire at the end of the season earlier in the year.