A.J. Burnett has been in the National League before. It didn't appear that way early on Wednesday morning.
Burnett was trying to bunt in drills when the ball deflected off of his bat and collided with his right eye socket, according to ESPN.com. After going to a knee in obvious discomfort, Burnett was taken for x-rays where it was discovered he suffered a fractured orbital bone.
This was not the new start the 35-year-old had in mind. After struggling for most of his New York tenure, Burnett was shipped to the Steel City for a song. He was expected to be the ace of a young staff in Pittsburgh, but this injury will delay that process.
While there isn't a timetable currently for Burnett's return, it is expected to be approximately a month before he can resume baseball activities. Nothing has been ruled out yet, including Opening Day against interstate foe Philadelphia, but it's unlikely at this point.
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