SEATTLE — Corbin Burnes has learned how to switch between his two hats quickly, from dad to ace and back again.
On Thursday, Burnes pitched seven innings for the Orioles against the Texas Rangers, then changed, packed his backpack and was ready to go. He spoke with the media shortly after the end of the game, then boarded a flight back home to Arizona.
And only a few hours later, his wife, Brooke, gave birth to twins, Charlotte and Harper.
Burnes is back with the Orioles after the whirlwind trip home, joining Baltimore for its series in Seattle. And when he steps onto the mound Thursday for the first time since his wife gave birth to their newest children, he’ll have two more members of the family in mind.
“I told her [Brooke] we were lucky, we got two out of the way at once versus spreading them out,” Burnes said. “She didn’t think that was too funny. But we’re looking forward to it. We’re excited.”
Burnes said his firstborn son, Carter, knew babies were on the way. But it didn’t really sink in for the toddler until his parents walked in with two new siblings. The first two days, Carter was uncertain — “They would grunt, and he would say, ‘Babies,’ so he knew they were there,” Burnes said.
On Tuesday, Burnes sat in the clubhouse and watched videos from his wife in which Carter brought stuffed animals over to his little sisters.
“He seems to be embracing the big brother role, so I can’t wait to see that,” Burnes said.
Burnes began regimenting his life in 2019, around the time he broke through as one of baseball’s best pitchers. He takes meticulous notes of his training performances and follows a checklist each day that includes making his bed in the morning.
In following that routine, Burnes won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021, and he could be set for a fourth-straight All-Star appearance as he pitches to a 2.28 ERA in 106 2/3 innings this season.
“Obviously, being a husband and a father takes up more time than being a baseball player,” Burnes said, “but when I get here and change clothes and kind of strap everything on, I make sure I’m focused to get everything done, so if something happens that I have to bounce out of here, go do whatever, I can still go do that. When I’m at the field, I do what I can to be as business and professional as I can, and when I go home, be the best husband and father I can.”
Manager Brandon Hyde said that he and the whole organization are excited for Burnes and his family, and he joked that it’s “quite a handful now” having twins. “No, it’s awesome. We’re happy to see him back.”
Given the emotion and travel schedule, Hyde said the Orioles will rely on Burnes to tell them how he feels throughout his start. He’ll use Tuesday and Wednesday to get ready, then step on the mound for the first time as a father of three.
The discovery that Corbin and Brooke Burnes were having twins came about 10 days before the right-hander was traded to the Orioles this offseason. The two discoveries so close together were “a little bit crazy, trying to figure out the logistics of it.”
But Burnes has settled in for the Orioles, and he and his wife will soon find a routine that works for their newborns, too.
“We were definitely shocked,” Burnes said. “Twins don’t run in the family, so that was definitely something that was kind of thrown on us. Start doing your homework, start doing your research, figure out how to game-plan with twins and also having three under three.”
Kremer returns
Right-hander Dean Kremer will return from a right triceps strain on Wednesday, Hyde said, when he is activated to pitch against the Mariners. Kremer hasn’t featured for the Orioles since May 20, but his return to health is welcome for a rotation that lost three starters to season-ending elbow surgeries in June.
Kremer holds a 4.32 ERA in 50 innings this season. His three minor league rehab outings led to mixed results, although they were more about building his pitch count. Kremer allowed 11 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides last month.
Minor league addition
The Orioles announced they signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a minor league deal. Nittoli, 33, posted a 2.25 ERA in eight innings with the Oakland Athletics this year and a 2.70 ERA in 23 1/3 innings for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate.
