Alabama Baseball RHP Garrett McMillan Out with Muscle Strain
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball pitcher Garrett McMillan will be out for the foreseeable future with a muscle strain, Crimson Tide head coach Brad Bohannon announced on Tuesday afternoon.
McMillan was Alabama’s regular Friday starter last season. On Monday, the Crimson Tide announced its opening weekend starters vs Richmond: Grayson Hitt on Friday, Ben Hess on Saturday and Jacob McNairy on Sunday. With the announcement that Hitt would be starting on Friday, questions regarding McMillan’s status began to arise.
While it had been rumored that McMillan had suffered an injury during spring practice, the injury was not full announced until Tuesday.
"A lot of people have been asking about Garrett McMillan," Bohannon said. "He's got a muscle strain. He'll be out for a period of time — don't really know exactly until he starts rehabbing and gets going, but he'll pitch again this year."
McMillan spent his first two seasons of college baseball at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, where he helped the small school win the 2021 Alabama Community College Conference Championship and advance to the NJCAA World Series. In his freshman year in 2020, McMillan owned a 3-1 record in the COVID-shortened season and struck out 35 batters across 25.2 innings.
During his sophomore season, McMillan finished with a perfect 12-0 record and a 2.68 ERA across 15 appearances. He also recorded 87 strikeouts over the course of 74.0 innings.
For his junior year, McMillan transferred to Alabama to play for the Crimson Tide — a lifelong dream of his. After earning the spot as the Crimson Tide’s opening day starter, McMillan proceeded to amass a 4-5 record across 16 starts. He finished the season with a 4.29 ERA, struck out 83 batters — enough to lead the team — and walked just 26.
In total, McMillan held opposing hitters to a .241 batting average.
In the 2022 MLB Draft, McMillan was selected in the 19th round by the Minnesota Twins. However, McMillan ultimately opted to return for his senior season and was slated to pick up where he left off as Alabama’s top starter.
McMillan joins fellow Crimson Tide pitchers Antoine Jean and Aidan Moza on the injured list. Jean, a senior, suffered an injury last spring that required Tommy John Surgery in July. While McMillan is expected to return this season, Jean will miss 2023 in its entirety.
Moza, a sophomore transfer from UAB, will also miss time after having a bone spur removed in December.
