Jimenez ready for full workload ahead of stretch run for Razorbacks

Van Horn comfortable sending star reliever out twice in same weekend more often after recovering from injury

Aiden Jimenez throws a pitch against South Carolina as part of 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the Gamecocks. The Razorbacks won 12-3. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There's been no bigger welcome surprise to the 2025 roster than Aiden Jimenez. The righty transfer from Oregon State ascended from potentially unable to contribute at all this season because of recovery from Tommy John Surgery, to coach Dave Van Horn's most trusted arm out of the bullpen.

Jimenez has put up sterling numbers as the team's No. 1 high leverage reliever. Despite a blip on the radar at LSU in which he surrendered the lead in Friday night's 5-4 loss to LSU, he still has a 2.51 ERA, second best of anyone on the team (minimum 20 innings), only behind Dylan Carter.

The numbers are even better in SEC play. He leads all qualified pitchers on the team with a 2.39 ERA. In 32 1/3 total innings, he also has 34 strikeouts to go along with just seven walks.

Jimenez was also ranked 13th on D1Baseball's Top 100 relievers list.

The Herd have two making the list!

Aiden Jimenez▶️ #13
Kade Brown ▶️ #46 https://t.co/9XNQyBHvCf

— EG Herd Baseball (@egherdbaseball) May 9, 2025

He also now leads the team in SEC appearances with 12, quite a remarkable development considering Van Horn was hesitant to pitch him twice on the same weekend because he was barely a full year removed from surgery.

"It's tough doubling up and I didn't want Jimenez to go again today," Van Horn said after Arkansas lost the series finale to Florida on April 27. "He probably could have gone a little bit, but he threw up and down a few times yesterday and we finally bring him in. It's just too much. [We're] trying to make sure he's healthy at the end of the year."

Now, Van Horn is seemingly comfortable with using Jimenez twice in the same weekend with regularity. He's done it twice now this season — once against Georgia and most recently against LSU.

He also did it earlier in the season against Vanderbilt, but only threw three pitches on Friday.

"We had a pitcher in the bullpen [Jimenez] that has done nothing but pitch well here and throw strikes," Van Horn said. "He had two hitters where he didn't throw strikes, and that cost us the lead. But that's baseball, that's what happens. And we gave him the ball again on Sunday. That's how much confidence we have in that individual."

So much about succeeding at this time of year is having a lockdown reliever in the bullpen and getting healthy. While Jimenez isn't getting healthy in the traditional sense like some of his fellow pitchers such as Gage Wood, Parker Coil and Hunter Dietz, his increased availability could be the most critical factor heading into the postseason.

"It's good to go," Van Horn said. "It depends on how many pitches or how stressful they were, or was he cruising? Then he's got to talk to us, communicate with us, tell us how he feels physically, not necessarily how his arm feels. His arm's been feeling great. It's about how your body feels."

The Razorbacks will take on the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers to close out the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.