Arizona Diamondbacks manager: Patrick Corbin’s injury is a ‘big kick into the gut’

Patrick Corbin was supposed to be the Arizona Diamondbacks’ ace in 2014.

The 24-year-old went 14-8 last season with a 3.41 ERA, and he was expected to be even better this season.

But things have been put on hold — possibly for a while — as the left-hander could be out for the season due to an elbow injury.

It’s a tough blow for both the player and the team.

“Patrick, it’s a big kick into the gut,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson told Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday. “He’s a great kid, a manager’s dream.

“Nobody saw it coming; he didn’t, we didn’t.”

Gibson, who is with the team in Australia ahead of their season-opening series against the L.A. Dodgers, said between 25 and 33 percent of all Major League pitchers go through the same type of injury Corbin is dealing with. It’s similar to what Daniel Hudson is trying to come back from.

Hudson, who has undergone Tommy John surgery twice, has not pitched in a big league game since June 26, 2012.

That does not mean Corbin will follow the same path, of course, as there are many variables that will determine how this ordeal plays out. As Gibson said, there has been no decision yet on how to proceed, either with rehabilitation or surgery.

“It’s a significant injury and it’s something that’s going to have to be dealt with either way.”

But how it even got to this point is something that the skipper thinks about.

“You try and figure out why; he did everything right,” Gibson added. “Again, he’s on spot with everything he does. I know he’s really upset about it, as he should be. We miss him over here.

“He’ll come back, he’ll be stronger than ever, and our day will come together.”

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