Burnett pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four to pick up the win Thursday against the Reds. Burnett (1-1) held the Reds in check for seven effective innings to pick up his first win of the season. His four strikeouts gave him 2,401 for his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for 40th all-time. Burnett began the night with the lowest ERA in the National League (1.45) but has nothing to show for it in the win column thanks to an offense that generated five runs total in his first five starts. He'll look to pick up his second win of the season in his next start Tuesday at Philadelphia.

Burnett fanned seven and walked three while giving up two hits over six scoreless innings against the Cardinals on Friday night. He did not factor in the decision, however, as the Cards scored a game-tying run in the seventh inning and eventually won in extra innings. Burnett has improved his walk rate (8.1%) through five starts with the Pirates this season, carrying peripherals that more closely resemble his 2013 campaign with Pittsburgh than his injury-laden one with the Phillies a year ago. Burnett fill face the Reds at PNC Park in his next scheduled start Thursday.

Burnett was able to limit the damage against him again on Monday, allowing just one run over six innings of work against the Cubs. Burnett has only allowed four runs in his 18 innings in 2015, but has also allowed 19 hits in that frame. The veteran has been keeping runs off the board, but doing so in a dangerous fashion. His next start will come against the Diamondbacks this weekend.

Burnett was a tough-luck loser Tuesday after giving up just one earned run on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight in 6.2 innings against the Tigers. It's hard to complain about Burnett's production through two starts this season, as he has given up just three earned runs with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, although he does not have a win to show for his troubles. He should be able to continue to miss bats as his next start comes Monday against the free-swinging Cubs.

Burnett struck out seven batters over 5.1 innings Thursday against the Reds, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. He was working on a shutout before giving up a two-run homer to Joey Votto in the sixth inning, which got him pulled from the game. Despite the unfortunate ending that kept Burnett from registering a quality start, this was a solid start to his final season in the major leagues.

Burnett hurled four scoreless innings against the Yankees on Thursday in his final spring tuneup. The 38-year-old veteran, who has already announced that 2015 will be his last big-league season, is set to debut Thursday, April 9 against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Burnett gave up two unearned runs in six innings of a "B" game Saturday, striking out seven while throwing 19 of 24 first-pitch strikes. "I'm ready now," Burnett told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. After pitching for Philadelphia through a sports hernia in 2014, he makes for a decent late-round draft target. He's averaged 193 strikeouts over the last three season and figures to improve upon last year's 4.59 ERA.

Burnett allowed five runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings Monday, striking out five batters, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Burnett worked with newly-acquired catcher, Francisco Cervelli, for the first time this spring and the two met halfway between the mound twice in the first inning. "It's just getting him where I want him (positioned) behind the plate," Burnett said of the visits. "He caught me in New York, but I'm a completely different guy than I was in New York."

Burnett has walked five batters in eight spring innings as he attempts to incorporate a changeup into his pitching repertoire. The righty threw his changeup sparingly (7.5 percent) in 2014, but with an average fastball of 91.7 mph -- two miles per hour slower than his career mark -- the 38-year-old is looking to trick batters one more time during his final season. Burnett enters 2015 as Pittsburgh's No. 3 starter and figures to compile an earned-run average between his numbers from 2013 (3.30 ERA) and 2014 (4.59 ERA).

Burnett, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Pirates on Friday, said that he underwent hernia surgery right after the season ended, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. This was expected, but Burnett confirmed after his signing was made official that he did undergo surgery to address the hernia issue that bothered him all year long. He added that he expects to a full-go come spring training. Burnett left more than $4 million on the table to come back to Pittsburgh -- his player option with the Phillies was worth $12.75 million -- but he'll get to play for what should be a contending team and there's reason to believe his numbers will improve with a better defense behind him.