Burns Out for Season With Hip Injury

Pitcher Britt Burns will sit out the entire 1986 season due to a chronic hip injury, New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner said Friday. But the trade that brought Burns from the Chicago White Sox stands, Steinbrenner added.

Burns, 26, was expected to be the Yankees’ No. 2 starter, behind Ron Guidry. The six-year veteran left-hander was part of a Dec. 12 five-player trade with the Chicago White Sox in which the Yankees gave up catcher Ron Hassey and pitcher Joe Cowley. Hassey was later reacquired.

On Thursday, Steinbrenner said: “My people knew he (Burns) had hip problems. I don’t want to talk any more about it. It’s all been written; it’s all been said.”

Burns was not immediately available for comment, but he recently had disputed published reports that his pitching career was in jeopardy. In 34 starts and two relief appearances last year, Burns compiled an 18-11 record with a 3.96 earned-run average, his best season.