LSU Announces Pitcher Jaden Hill Out for Remainder of 2021 With UCL Injury
LSU announced on Monday that starting pitcher Jaden Hill would be out for the remainder of the 2021 season with a UCL tear.
"It's heartbreaking for all of us to receive this news," Mainieri said, "but it's especially disappointing for Jaden as a young man who has such a bright future in baseball. We will do everything we can to support Jaden in his return to full health. He has a tremendous work ethic, and I'm very confident he will overcome this setback."
This is obviously an extremely bitter pill to swallow for both Hill and LSU. He came in as a highly touted prospect this year, projected to go in the top five of the 2021 MLB draft.
He’ll now have a months long recovery period as his professional future becomes extremely unpredictable. The team hasn't decided what it will do with its third starting role for the weekend at this time.
In order to get a good look at his options, Mainieri will start freshman Garrett Edwards on Tuesday against McNeese State in order to get a good look at him in a starter role. Edwards hasn't started a game since the Tigers' midweek performance against ULL during the first week of the season.
Edwards and freshman Will Hellmers are the only two pitchers with some starting cache under their belt outside of Marceaux and Labas.
While in the middle of what would become a five pitch walk against Vanderbilt on Friday evening, Hill released a ball in a 2-0 count and grimmaced. With his back completely turned to home plate, athletic trainer Corey Couture and coach Paul Mainieri ran out to see what was troubling the Tigers' ace pitcher.
Hill threw 37 pitches, allowing two hits and three runs with two strikeouts on the evening before having to come out of the game. Mainieri said that Hill was feeling fine until that final pitch, a changeup, where he felt something wrong in his elbow. There was no pain according to what Hill told Mainieri, which was thought to be a positive sign as a tear or major structural damage would've been felt instantly.
Story will be updated as more info is provided.