Can Dave Van Horn Get Razorbacks Over Another Injury

With yet another key player hurting, it's just another bump in road

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Apr 21, 2023 2:30 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Nobody probably has exact numbers, but this seems like a lot of injuries for Arkansas this year.

Now we find out catcher Parker Rowland is ailing.

"He’s having some back issues," Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn said after a 6-5 loss to Georgia on Thursday night. "I don’t know if he’s going to be ready or not. We'll see, but I doubt it."

It's not really anything new. Jaxon Wiggins, who was supposed to be the key to a good pitching staff, suffered a torn UCL that required season-ending Tommy John surgery before the season even started. Top reliever Koty Frank went down for the year with a torn lat suffered in the March 5 win over Wright State.

Days before Frank's injury, closer Brady Tygart exited the March 1 win over Illinois State with a UCL strain that has kept him sidelined since then. Tygart did travel with the team this weekend and was potentially going to be on the 27-man active roster, but reports from Athens, Ga., say he won't be ready.

"He’s probably about there," Van Horn said about Tygart. "We just feel like that we need to go one more week. So we went ahead and had him throw a bullpen yesterday and he threw really well."

Van Horn just wants to be sure about the arm and see him throw some more pitches for evaluation.

"It’s not like he’s thrown a lot of pitches, but just feel like one more [week] and we’ll be a little bit safer," he said "Then next weekend we should get him out there. That was the target date all along."

That's just the pitchers. One of the most clutch hitters on the team, Jared Wegner, suffered a hairline fracture of his thumb sliding into a base in a midweek game against Little Rock. If Dave didn't have bad luck with those injuries this year he wouldn't have a whole lot.

"He had surgery yesterday," Van Horn said Tuesday after a win over UCA. "Put a couple pins in it, just to hold the bone in place, just normal, standard procedure, and we’ll just keep him in shape, and we’re hoping to get him back, probably South Carolina, Vandy for sure."

He's needed. Last night's loss was due in part to some breakdowns fielding and not being able to get the key hits when needed, leaving the equivalent of more than a team on the bases. They were 3-of-18 with runners in scoring position.

Now Wegner is going to be out for a few more weeks.

"Once three weeks is up, he should be able to go pretty good as far as it’s healed, now it’s just a matter of open it up, and they’re going to be working on him," Van Horn said. "Probably just wear that cast for a while and they’ll free that thing up and really work that thumb."

The Hogs and Bulldogs will continue their series Friday with Game 2 at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.