No burn to return: Retirement suiting Burnett

PHILADELPHIA — Nearly a year into retirement, A.J. Burnett isn’t contemplating a comeback. The proof is in ink across the fingers on his right hand: 2-5-1-3, his career strikeout total.

It was also evident in the way Burnett spoke Thursday, when he made the trip northeast to see his former Pirates teammates play the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He caught up with Pittsburgh’s coaches and players behind the cage during batting practice, where Andrew McCutchen promised him he’d hit two homers for him.

Sure enough, McCutchen went deep twice in Thursday’s 15-2 win over the Phillies.

“He said, ‘Give me two,'” McCutchen said. “I said all right, I’ll do it. That’s basically what happened.”

Burnett, who spent 17 seasons pitching in the Majors, is enjoying retirement. He’s pouring the energy he once exerted on the mound into his sons, A.J. Jr. and Ashton.

“We’ve been booked up with everything. We’ve been taking vacations here and there. A.J. has baseball all summer. We didn’t have time to do anything,” Burnett said. “Something other than my baseball, that’s what it is. You think …

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