Hogs outfielder Brenton Clark to miss season following shoulder surgery

Brenton Clark’s 2026 season is over after the Arkansas outfielder underwent surgery for a torn labrum.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in fall scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas baseball has a way of reminding players that progress doesn’t always move in a straight line.

For outfielder Brenton Clark, that reminder arrived before the 2026 season could even get started.

Clark will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum, a setback that shuts down what looked like a real opportunity to compete for playing time with the Razorbacks.

Matt Jones at WholeHogSports was the first to report the news on Thursday.

The injury ends the season before it begins and turns what was shaping up as a step forward into a year of waiting.

Clark didn’t play during the 2025 season after being redshirted, which already placed him behind others in a deep outfield room.

That redshirt year wasn’t about disappearing, though. It was about development, adjustment and preparation.

And when summer arrived, Clark took advantage of it.

He headed west and did the one thing that forces coaches to notice — he hit.

Summer performance put Clark back in conversation

Clark spent the summer with the Santa Barbara Foresters in the California Collegiate League and produced numbers that didn’t require much interpretation.

He hit .359 with a .424 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage, collecting 33 hits in 128 at-bats.

The extra-base pop was there, too, with four doubles and a triple mixed in.

More importantly, Clark showed discipline. He drew 35 walks while striking out just 13 times, the kind of ratio that suggests control rather than guesswork.

For a player without a college at-bat on his résumé, it was a strong statement.

It didn’t guarantee anything, but it put him squarely back into the discussion. That discussion, however, is now on hold.

Van Horn praised growth after redshirt season

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn made it clear during the summer that Clark had responded the right way after his redshirt year.

“I redshirted him last year,” Van Horn said in July. “I think he needed to hear that from me. And he’s gone out and done it.”

That mattered because the message wasn’t just about patience. It was about accountability.

Clark took the feedback, went out and competed, and showed progress against quality summer competition.

Instead of carrying that momentum into fall workouts and spring practice, he’ll now spend the year rehabbing and learning from the sidelines.

It’s a tough pivot, but it’s one Arkansas has seen before.

Injury reshapes outfield plans for Hogs

The timing stings because Arkansas entered the offseason with openings in the outfield.

Logan Maxwell, Charles Davalan and Justin Thomas Jr. are no longer part of the program, leaving room for new faces and new competition.

The Razorbacks added transfers Maika Niu, Damian Ruiz and Zack Stewart, while Kuhio Aloy returns with experience.

Clark was expected to be part of that mix, pushing for at-bats and forcing lineup decisions. Now, that competition continues without him.

Arkansas will adjust, as it always does, but the absence changes the depth and removes a left-handed bat that was trending upward.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas outfielder Brenton Clark will miss the entire 2026 season after surgery to repair a torn labrum.
• Clark posted strong summer league numbers, hitting .359 with more walks than strikeouts.
• The injury alters Arkansas’ outfield depth following multiple offseason departures.