A.J. Burnett

Catching up with A.J. Burnett By Mike Axisa  

For former Yankees starter A.J. Burnett, it's all about location, location, location. And we're not talking about his pitches.  

PITTSBURGH — A gift arrived recently for Pirates starter A.J. Burnett. The package included a suit, a form of payback from Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes, who Burnett bought a few suits for back in 2009, when Burnett was in the first season of a five-year ...  

Burnett says he still keeps in touch with multiple Yankees, texting with Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Sabathia, Brett Gardner and Ivan Nova, among others. On Monday, Burnett got a gift in the mail from Phil Hughes, who sent him a suit as a thank ...  

PITTSBURGH -- A year ago, he was playing in the mecca of baseball. Today, he resides in the sport's version of Siberia. But A.J. Burnett likes his new surroundings. Really. The Pirates may not offer the prestige, payroll and championship expectations ...  

Today, he resides in the sport's version of Siberia. But A.J. Burnett likes his new surroundings. Really. The Pirates may not offer the prestige, payroll and championship expectations Burnett had with the Yankees. But for a man who had become an ...  

In the first inning of the first game A.J. Burnett pitched at PNC Park, the first three batters reached base on a walk, a single and another walk.  

Back in February, when the Pirates and Yankees consummated a trade that sent veteran starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the Pirates in exchange for prospects and money, I came on this blog and expressed my displeasure with the trade not once, but twice. Actually, I expressed my displeasure quite a bit, and this led to a two or three week blood-bath between myself and everyone else on Bucsdugout. There were many bench-clearing incidents as...  

I drafted right-handed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett in one of my leagues based on a skill set that had upside in the low-stress environment the Pittsburgh Pirates offered. Burnett sat on my reserve list for the first few weeks of the season as ...  

I drafted right-handed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett in one of my leagues based on a skill set that had upside in the low-stress environment the Pittsburgh Pirates offered. Burnett sat on my reserve list for the first few weeks of the season as ...  

Tigers' Drew Smyly to face fellow Arkansas native A.J. BurnettDetroit Free PressDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Drew Smyly (33) makes a throw against the Chicago White Sox. / Mike DiNovo / US PRESSWIRE By John Lowe It's a matchup of Arkansas natives at Comerica Park today as Tigers left-hander Drew Smyly faces Pittsburgh ...Arkansas natives Burnett and Smyly face offSacramento Beeall 6 news articles »  

The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to rebound from almost being no hit on Friday night when they again take on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Justin Verlander held the Pirates hitless for eight innings on Friday in a 6-0 Tigers victory.  

With the best record in spring training, hopes for the Toronto Blue Jays going into the 2012 season are through the roof. The problem is is that this is spring training, and it has the same sort of feel to it as when the Toronto Maple Leafs finish their preseason successfully.  Spring training is all about smoke and mirrors.  The Texas Rangers are currently 6-15 and sitting with the worst record in MLB, but there is almost no chance they...  

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton appears to be a man on a mission this season. Hamilton went 5-5 with 4 HRs, 8 RBI, and 18 total bases (an AL record) last night in the Rangers win over the Orioles. Hamilton, a free agent at the end of the season, is hitting .406-.458-.840 with 14 HRs and 36 RBI. If it wasn't for Matt Kemp's hot start, Hamilton would be getting all the headlines this season. Maybe now he will. Pirates starter A.J...  

Josh Beckett redeemed himself less than a week after being ... RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 3 (at Toronto) — David Price (6-2) won for the fifth time in six starts, Sean Rodriguez homered and Tampa Bay rallied from a 3-0 deficit. The Blue Jays’ Brett Lawrie ...  

The St. Louis Cardinals pounded line drive after line drive off A.J. Burnett and racked up 12 runs in the first three innings. Rafael Furcal started the show with a leadoff single, and the Cardinals never slowed. It ended as a 12-3 loss at Busch Stadium, one night after the Cardinals reached Charlie Morton and the bullpen for 10 runs. Burnett (1-2) left after 2 2/3 innings. He allowed a career-high 12 runs on 12 hits, including two home runs...  

Let the idiotic “A.J. Burnett can’t pitch in New York” jazz begin! A.J. Burnett did everything the Pirates could have wanted in his debut Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam. He racked up seven strikeouts. He retired 12 batters in a row. He turned loud boos into rousing cheers. And he didn’t even flinch when asked to bunt. Best of all, Burnett won the game. Pedro Alvarez stroked a pair of run...  

Ryan Sweeney drove in the winning run as the Boston Red Sox scored three times in the ninth inning to claim a 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. Sweeney’s single to right field off Jays closer Sergio Santos (0-1) scored David Ortiz from ...  

Romero hopes to remain unbeaten both in 2012 and lifetime against the Athletics as the Toronto Blue Jays visit Oakland for a quick two-game series. Romero is the first Blue Jays pitcher to open a season 4-0 since Scott Richmond in 2009.  

A.J. Burnett allowed four runs in the first inning, at which point the game was more or less over, and then the Pirates for some reason let him run out there and allow eight more, for a staggering total of 12. That total included two homers by Carlos Beltran. Burnett's ERA is now 8.04, which is amazing given how good his first two starts were. Pedro Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored all three Pirates runs, Josh Harrison...  

I pulled this together for my preview of tonight's game for SB Nation Pittsburgh: the Pirates have played 13 games so far, and they've had six or fewer hits seven times. In those games, they're 1-6. In other games, they're 4-2. Tonight's game pits Jake Westbrook and Kevin Correia. (UPDATE: Now it's A.J. Burnett. See below.) There are a few ways to look at this: 1. Kevin Correia vs. PNC Park. Eh, not a big of this one. 2. Pirates...  

Rangers catcher Mike Napoli homered in his 5th straight game yesterday, as the Rangers scored 8 runs in the first inning off of Tigers starter Rick Porcello. Napoli now is hitting .279-.373-.721 with 6 HRs and 13 RBI thus far. The Rangers have started the season in dominant fashion at 12-2 and already have a 7 game lead over Albert Pujols and the Angels. Is it me or does Rick Porcello have one of these starts every year that...  

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A.J. Burnett's first week with the Pittsburgh Pirates ended with a fractured right orbital bone. His first three rehab starts ended with losses, a gaudy 9.53 ERA and concerns the veteran right-hander couldn't become the ace his new team so desperately needs.  

The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t know they’d be facing A.J. Burnett on Saturday night until four hours before the first pitch.   The coaching staff quickly threw together video of Burnett during spring training and his three rehab starts as he worked his way back from a fractured right orbital bone.   The cram session didn’t quite work.  

Lots of fun stuff going on today: -P- At 5:00, Justin Wilson goes for Indianapolis in Toledo. -P- At 6:30, A.J. Burnett makes a rehab start for Bradenton, which plays St. Lucie. -P- Also at 6:30, Nate Baker gets the nod as Altoona hosts Erie. Antonio Brown will throw the first pitch. -P- At 7:05, Stetson Allie starts for West Virginia against Hagerstown. Yesterday before the Curve home opener, Frank Coonelly announced that the Pirates will...  

Closer Sergio Santos, who blew two save chances earlier this season, struck out Kevin Youkilis and got David Ortiz to hit into a game-ending ... But are the risks worth it? Su-Ling Goh has part two of a series on Dental Tourism. Poll: What should Oilers ...  

Chris Perez (10.12 ERA), Jairo Asencio (9.00 ERA), Michael Brantley (.077 BA), Casey Kotchman (.062 BA). Yes it is early in the season, but these numbers are ugly no matter how you look at them. The Indians will host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game ...  

Opening Day Roster Finalized The Pirates finalized their Opening Day roster today in front of the 5 pm deadline. While nothing probably qualifies as a surprise, the unforseen move was placing Chris Leroux on the 60-day disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle that was injured on Tuesday. The Pirates also placed starting pitchers A.J. Burnett and Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list, Burnett retroactive to March 26 and Morton to...  

May 8, 2012 - The Chicago White Sox have made another roster move following Monday's doubleheader. South Side Sox is reporting that the clubs has promoted SP Nestor Molina and SP Jake Petricka. Molina, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the ...  

Carlos Villanueva was heavily involved in his work in the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse, barking out comments as he stared intently at a television monitor from the comfort of a couch. “That's another first-round knockout,” the Blue Jays' relief pitcher proclaimed.  

The Pittsburgh Pirates (15-18) look to duplicate Sunday what for them was an offensive outburst on Saturday night, when the Pirates tallied five runs in a 5-2 win over the Houston Astros. Pittsburgh has only scored five runs at PNC Park five ...  

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitchers Dustin McGowan (L), Brett Cecil (C) and Ricky Romero (R) watch from the dugout before their MLB Grapefruit League baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in ...  

Recalling the conversations the Pirates had when they first began thinking about Burnett, manager Clint Hurdle said they started looking at his career, his history, the years Burnett pitched well. In 2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, Burnett went ...  

Not long after trading closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor-league starting pitcher Nestor Molina in early December, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams deemed Molina a front-end starter who would likely be in the major ...  

Pirates Starter A.J. Burnett joined Seibel, Starkey and Miller on Sportsradio 93-7 The FAN to talk about the season he has been having.  

The Toronto Blue Jays will be without closer Sergio Santos for about a month because of discomfort and inflammation in his pitching shoulder, the Toronto Sun reports. Santos, acquired from the Chicago White Sox during the offseason, was placed on the ...  

Once A.J. Burnett recovered from his much-documented experiment into the nuances of bunting a baseball, he gave the Pittsburgh Pirates great hope with two very solid starts in April.  In those contests he totaled 13 innings pitched, and yielded ...  

Edwin Jackson will take the hill against the Pirates. Jackson is currently 1-1 with a 3.69 ERA in five starts. The game is scheduled for a 7:05 first pitch from PNC Park. Television coverage will be provided by Root Sports. Radio coverage will ...  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Toronto Blue Jays have placed former Chicago White Sox closer Sergio Santos on the 15-day disabled list because of right shoulder inflammation. Santos, who spent time on the paternity list earlier this month, has a record ...  

Highlighting a bad performance from the previous night in baseball might seem like a harsh way to start the morning, but look at it this way: If you had a rough night or bad day, here's someone who may have had it worse.It takes some special talent to accomplish what Jered Weaver did Wednesday night in Anaheim, but pitching as poorly as A.J. Burnett did in St. Louis, also requires a distinct ability.Burnett only needed six pitches to give up...  

That’s bull. They’re always aware of it. Every time he struck out or hit a weak pop-up at PNC Park, Rod Barajas heard the boos. And with each of the 12 runs he gave up last week during a game in St. Louis, A.J. Burnett figured folks in ...  

Now THAT's the all-time worst performance in fantasy history. Perhaps it's a morbid curiosity, but I've been tracking the ugliest fantasy performances of each season for the last several years -- and Burnett may just barely crack the top five worst since 2007.  

Rookie Lance Lynn was spectacular again in place of Chris Carpenter ... so Jake Westbrook could either move to the bullpen or become expendable. The St. Louis Cardinals have now outscored their opponents by 65 runs after 24 games, the best run differential ...  

I'm sick of writing about Heath Bell, but Closing Time's ... bullpen's best arm this year. If I had one roster spot dedicated to a Marlins hedge, I'd give it to Cishek. But the conclusion remains the same in Miami, what we've been saying all along; the ...  

Here's how the first six batters of the game turned out for him: Rafael Furcal singles. Jon Jay singles. Matt Holliday singles. Furcal scores. Carlos Beltran homers. Jay and Holliday score. David Freese reaches on an error. (Not Burnett's.) Yadier Molina singles.  

Sergio Santos came on to strike out Kevin Youkilis, then ended it by getting David Ortiz to ground out. Ricky Romero outdueled Jon Lester, Yunel Escobar drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Boston, 3-1, Wednesday to drop the Red Sox to 1-5.  

Kevin Youkilis struck out before David Ortiz and Cody Ross ... A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer in the first, four batters after Alejandro De Aza homered leading off against Josh Tomlin (0-1). OAKLAND, CALIF. Tommy Milone allowed three hits over a ...  

How soon we forget about Vin Mazzaro of the Royals coming in as a reliever on May 16 last season and giving up 14 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Perhaps it’s a morbid curiosity, but I’ve been tracking the ugliest fantasy performances of each ...  

After not once allowing more than five runs in the opening 27 games of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have now given up back-to-back 10-run games and 22 runs in their last two combined. Tonight, off-season acquisition A.J. Burnett got ...  

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz probably figured he would catch the Toronto Blue Jays napping, trying to steal a base like that with his team down a run in the seventh inning Monday night. But Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia was ready — so ready that ...  

ST. LOUIS — Carlos Beltran drove in a career-best seven runs with a pair of three-run home runs and RBI single in the first three innings, leading the way as the Cardinals punished A.J. Burnett and the Pirates 12-3 last night. Burnett (1-2) entered with ...  

This was his sixth straight loss in Atlanta. The Braves pounced when Tyler Pastornicky walked in the third. Hanson put down a sacrifice bunt, the runner moved to third on Michael Bourn's groundout, and Martin Prado came through with the two-out ...  

ATLANTA - A.J. Burnett hasn't won at Turner Field in more than a decade. That streak remained intact, thanks to a couple of untimely walks and some timely hits by the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson allowed one run in six innings, Dan Uggla and ...  

In his first start of the season, A.J. Burnett worked seven scoreless innings to beat St. Louis. The second start against the Cardinals, just 11 days later, was a disaster. Carlos Beltran drove in a career-best seven runs with a pair of three ...  

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated A.J. Burnett off the 15-day disabled list and the right-hander is slated to start on Saturday night against St. Louis. Burnett will start in place of Kevin Correia, who was scratched with discomfort in his side.  

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates activated A.J. Burnett off the 15-day disabled list and the right-hander is slated to start on Saturday night against St. Louis. Burnett will start in place of Kevin Correia, who was scratched with discomfort ...  

Even a veteran pitcher with a good record can fall apart toward the end of his career. One of those people was Matt Morris in 2007. It is at least possible that A.J. Burnett may fall into this category. Especially after his eye injury and three shaky rehab ...  

Good thing A.J. Burnett didn't waste that start in Altoona, eh? You can discuss Burnett's excellent seven-strikeout performance here, and I'll have more in this thread in the morning.  

PITTSBURGH - A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night. Burnett, who missed the first three weeks of the year while recovering ...  

Scheduled Pirates starting pitcher Kevin Correia will not make his start against the Cardinals Saturday night in Pittsburgh, the club announced Saturday afternoon. Correia is experiencing discomfort in his left side. The big news here is who will be making ...  

What am I doing recommending a 28-year old Houston Astro who is off to a startlingly slow start? I am of the firm belief that he will get playing time because of his excellent defensive returns and the lack of depth in Houston, and Bogusevic put up fair ...  

ATLANTA -- The Pirates haven't yet seen everything they envisioned for the 2012 season. But the anticipated power punch to the rotation by newcomers A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard? As advertised. Burnett picked up eight strikeouts in six innings ...  

(Sports Network) - It came later than expected, but the Pirates saw the A.J. Burnett they had hoped they acquired when ... to Charlie Morton's seven innings of one-run ball. Garrett Jones had three hits, one a two-run homer, while Pedro Alvarez smacked ...  

Santos would walk David Ortiz and then Cody Ross ... The win for Boston was its first of the season after three consecutive losses for new manager Bobby Valentine. Toronto’s record fell to 2-2. It has been quite a while since a Blue Jays team has ...  

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A. J. Burnett is scheduled to make a rehabilitation start for the Indianapolis Indians on Monday, April 16 when the Tribe takes on the Toledo Mud Hens at 7:05 p.m. Burnett came over to Pittsburgh in a ...  

Pittsburgh Pirates SP A.J. Burnett (eye) will travel home with the big club before heading back out to make one final minor-league rehab start with Double-A Altoona. Barring any setbacks, he'll be ready to return from the 15-day disabled list then.  

The Pirates put right-hander Jeff Karstens on the disabled list after he pulled himself from Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks. Karstens left Tuesday's game in Phoenix after one inning because of shoulder inflammation, an injury that cost him two ...  

Kevin Correia had been scheduled to start against Jake Westbrook and the Cardinals Saturday night, but now it looks like the Pirates will turn to new acquisition A.J. Burnett, who will make his Pirates debut. Correia now can’t make the start ...  

A.J. Burnett tossed seven shutout innings in his season debut and the Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals ... York Yankees in the offseason in exchange for reliever Diego Moreno and outfielder Exicardo Cayones, and was set to be the ...  

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates activated A.J. Burnett off the 15-day disabled list and the right-hander is slated to ... Burnett was scheduled to make one final rehab start at Double-A Altoona on Saturday but was summoned to Pittsburgh instead.  

A.J. Burnett was scheduled for another rehab start in Altoona tonight. Instead, the Pirates activated Burnett from the 15-day disabled list and the right-hander will start tonight at PNC Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. He will pitch in place of Kevin ...  

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated A.J. Burnett off the 15-day disabled list and the right-hander is slated to start on Saturday night against St. Louis. Burnett will start in place of Kevin Correia, who was scratched with discomfort in his side.  

A.J. Burnett did everything the Pirates could have wanted in his debut Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam. He racked up seven strikeouts. He retired 12 batters in a row. He turned loud boos into rousing cheers.  

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Chicago White Sox made 14 cuts to their roster on Monday, including former No. 1 draft pick Jared Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Nestor Molina, who was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for closer Sergio Santos in the ...  

Kristy Robinson reports that the Pirates have sent reliever Jared Hughes to Class AAA Indianapolis to make room on the active roster for A.J. Burnett, who will start Saturday night against Cardinals. What’s triggering all this, of course, is ...  

The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t know they’d be facing A.J. Burnett on Saturday night until four hours before the first pitch.   The coaching staff quickly threw together video of Burnett during spring training and his three rehab starts as he worked ...  

General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says Lee was sore on Friday, and the team wants to be cautious. The Pittsburgh Pirates activated A.J. Burnett off the 15-day disabled list and immediately moved the right-hander into the starting rotation. He started in ...  

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett tossed seven shutout innings in his season debut and the ... Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett tossed seven shutout innings in his season debut and the Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the St. Louis ...  

PITTSBURGH - A.J. Burnett's first week with the Pittsburgh Pirates ended with a fractured right orbital bone. His first three rehab starts ended with losses, a gaudy 9.53 ERA and concerns the veteran right-hander couldn't become the ace his new ...  

Update: Burnett (eye) may be able to return before the end of April, reports Tom Singer of MLB.com. Recommendation: Burnett is in the middle of a rehab stint, and GM Neal Huntington said he could be ready "before [the] month is over." In his last outing ...  

(Bradenton, FL) A.J. Burnett took the mound for the Bradenton Marauders Friday night in his first rehab assignment since coming back from orbital bone surgery. The former N.Y. Yankee right-hander, acquired by the Pirates in the off-season, pitched 4 2/3 ...  

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals didn't know they'd be facing A.J. Burnett on Saturday night until four hours before the first pitch. The coaching staff quickly threw together video of Burnett during spring training and his three rehab ...  

Hiroki Kuroda was brought to New York to provide the consistency behind CC Sabathia that A.J. Burnett was never able to offer. Following a Burnett-like trend that saw Kuroda follow a good start with a bad one, the veteran righthander finally ...  

They got to a good place last year. They weren’t able to finish as strong as they’d like." First hit for Hague Matt Hague’s first major league hit, which he collected Sunday, was a run-scoring single in the eighth inning that tied the score against ...  

(Bradenton, FL) A.J. Burnett will make his first regular season start on Friday, April 6 for the Bradenton Marauders. The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Burnett would make the rehab start after he pitched three innings in a camp game at Pirate City Sunday ...  

Burnett and Charlie Morton, who are both on the disabled list, could potentially return to the Pirates' rotation in mid-April, likely bumping Kevin Correia out of the rotation. If the Pirates have any success this year, Burnett will likely be an ...  

Lincoln could join the rotation or work out of the bullpen, as he did Wednesday, relieving starter James McDonald and earning a win with ... "I learned a lesson: Don't throw 31 pitches," Hanrahan said. Burnett eager to return Pitcher A.J. Burnett said ...  

Burnett suffered a fractured orbital bone near his right eye early in spring training when a ball he bunted hit him in the face. He had surgery March 2 to repair the damage and was projected to miss 8-12 weeks. Righthander A.J. Burnett ...  

TORONTO - Fenway Park will open back up for baseball on Friday, swept clean, freshly painted, and decked in bunting. For many, it’s the best holiday of the year. But will the mood of the fans be festive or furious? The Red Sox, once again ...  

Contreras shaky in first spring outingThe TrentonianIn the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Jose Contreras pitched against major league hitters for the first time in nine months. The results weren't necessarily pretty to watch. The first batter drilled his first pitch for a ...  

PITTSBURGH -- Right-hander A.J. Burnett's stellar Pirates debut in Saturday's 2-0 win over St. Louis showed up on the radar for the Elias Sports Bureau. Burnett tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and recording seven strikeouts.  

LOS ANGELES — Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will make his next rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, when they'll try to get his pitch count up to between 80 and 85 and "go from there," manager Clint Hurdle said Thursday. Burnett, who is ...  

After suffering a fractured orbital bone in his right eye during a bunting drill on February 29, the expectation was that A.J. Burnett would need around eight to 12 weeks of recovery time. It sounds like he’ll meet the lower end of that timetable.  

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates placed starting pitchers A.J. Burnett and Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday on the eve of the team's season opener against Philadelphia. Burnett is dealing with a fractured right orbital ...  

Making an injury rehab start at Single-A Bradenton on Friday, Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett  gave up one run and two hits in 42⁄3 innings against the St. Lucie Mets. Burnett, who had surgery March 2 to repair a fractured right orbital bone, struck out ...  

Making an injury rehab start at Single-A Bradenton on Friday, Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett  gave up one run and two hits in 42⁄3 innings against the St. Lucie Mets. Burnett, who had surgery March 2 to repair a fractured right orbital bone, struck out ...  

The Pirates have recalled starting pitcher A.J. Burnett from a rehab assignment earlier than expected and plan to start him tonight against the Cardinals according to mlb.com. Burnett is 4-3 with a 3.09 ERA in his career against the Cardinals.  

while Edwin Encarnacion, Yunel Escobar, Kelly Johnson and Colby Rasmus went deep for the Blue Jays. Toronto's Darren Oliver (0-1) took the loss. YANKEES 5, ANGELS 0 In New York, Alex Rodriguez hit his 630th home run to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth place ...  

A.J. Burnett, who had surgery last month to repair a fractured orbital bone, was placed on the 15-day disabled list along with two other Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Wednesday. The Pirates also placed fellow right-handers Charlie Morton and Chris ...  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- From his vantage point about an hour south of Yankee Spring Headquarters, Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett watched with interest when Andy Pettitte came out of retirement to put the pinstripes back on this month. Reaction? "It doesn't ...  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Michael McKenry had never faced A.J. Burnett in live batting practice before Saturday. Once he did, he came away impressed. "He looks game-ready to me," McKenry said. Burnett threw two simulated innings of 20 pitches each at McKechnie ...  

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A.J. Burnett came through his 48-pitch simulated game just fine Tuesday morning, another encouraging sign that his return to the Pirates may come sooner rather than later. The Pirates do not need a fifth starter until April 15 in San ...  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- There is a small red blotch under his right eye. From the outside, that's all the visual evidence that remains of the Bunt That Mugged A.J. Burnett last month. Burnett is hoping the visual evidence in favor of pushing it further back ...  

Pittsburgh Pirates righthander A.J. Burnett is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday. Burnett, who is recovering from surgery to repair a fractured right orbital bone, threw 52 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday. He was injured when he was ...  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Starter A.J. Burnett pitched a bullpen session Wednesday at McKechnie Field, the latest step in his recovery from surgery. Burnett, who had surgery March 2 to repair a broken orbital bone beneath his right eye, threw 52 pitches to ...  

LHP Erik Bedard was given the opening-day nod but only because RHP A.J. Burnett sustained a broken orbital bone late in February. Bedard has been slow in progressing during the spring, but he has by far the best pedigree of any of the Pirates' active starters.  

Better starting pitching. Granted, there are no guarantees with A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard. Especially where Bedard's health is concerned. But Burnett should give the Bucs close to 200 innings and I think his upside, now that he's out of the AL East ...  

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates placed starting pitchers A.J. Burnett and Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday on the eve of the team's season opener against Philadelphia. Burnett is dealing with a fractured right orbital ...  

"James had the complete package out there," Pirates manager ... Josh Rodriguez allowed Buck to score the winning run in the 10th. NOTES: Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett threw batting practice for the first time and reported no problems. Burnett is expected ...  

Danny Worth added a solo homer in the fifth and Ryan Strieby a three-run shot in the sixth. Eldred, Head and Worth also homered in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, a 4-3 win in 10 innings. Head also homered in the first game ...  

Pittsburgh Pirates righthander A.J. Burnett is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday. Burnett, who is recovering from surgery to repair a fractured right orbital bone, threw 52 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday. He was injured when ...  

PITTSBURGH — A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night. Burnett, who missed the first three weeks of the year while ...  

Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports that Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett threw a 40-pitch live batting practice session Saturday in camp, then “raised his arms in celebration” while walking off the field because he ...  

A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the host Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals , 2-0, Saturday night.  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A.J. Burnett's accelerating recovery from a facial fracture hit a different gear on Wednesday, when the right-hander made 52 pitches in his third comeback bullpen session, and afterwards, he declared it's almost "time to go."  

Jason Bay, $18.1M. 20. A.J. Burnett ... 1 (A-Rod), 3 (Sabathia), 4 (Teixeira) and 20 (Burnett) and lost in the first round to Detroit. So… Will Magic Johnson be a livelier, sunnier, more sensible and exciting front man than McCourt could ...  

From Lansing to Las Vegas, baseball season is under way. With a month of minor league baseball in the books, I figured that it's about time to check in on how some of the Toronto Blue Jays top prospects have started off their 2012 season and climb up the organizational ladder. While some of you may not agree with the composition or rankings on this list, I'd like to point out now that I used ...  

Adam Jones hit his fifth homer of the season ... RAYS 9, BLUE JAYS 4: In Toronto, Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer and came within a triple of the cycle, Desmond Jennings added a solo shot and Tampa Bay ended a 10-game road trip.  

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett, after having surgery on his fractured right orbital bone on March 2, threw for the first time on Saturday. "I thought it was a good day for A.J. [Burnett],” Manger Clint Hurdle  

The Toronto Blue Jays played the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South.  

FanGraphs ranks the Rangers as the #3 organization Of note, to me, was that they have the Rangers' baseball operations ranked behind, among others, the Toronto Blue Jays.  

A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night.  

A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night.  

A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night.  

Chris Gates | 93-7 The FAN -- Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett is set to make his third rehab start of the season Monday with Triple-A Indianapolis.  

Rehabbing starter A.J. Burnett will pitch tonight in Double-A Altoona with the goal of going past 80 pitches and inching closer to 100.  

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Drew Hutchison throws to the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, May 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)  

The Pirates activated A.J. Burnett from the 15-day disabled list Saturday and scheduled him to start Saturday's game against the Cardinals.  

A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0.  

A.J. Burnett hasn't won at Turner Field in more than a decade.  

PITTSBURGH -- If A.J. Burnett continues his successful rehabilitation, he could join the major league rotation...  

If A.J. Burnett continues his successful rehabilitation, he could join the major league rotation by the end of the month.  

A.J. Burnett To Pitch Simulated Game Saturday Burnett threw 52 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday.  

KDKA AM's Larry and John catch up with new Pirate A.J. Burnett live in Bradenton, FLA.