J.D. Arteaga Gives Promising Update for Miami's Superstar Hitter Ahead of Postseason Play
CORAL GABLES — Most would worry about their offense when one of the best hitters in the country goes down but the Miami Hurricanes have been steady without their star hitter, Daniel Cuvet.
However, with postseason play right around the corner, adding a star who batted .305 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI, and 14 doubles during 41 regular-season games would only boost the team's potential.
Head coach J.D. Arteaga would love to have him back, but also knows that rushing him and allowing Cuvet to be ready at the right time during the most important part of the season.
"He's still kind of day to day," Arteaga said. "He's getting a little more active this week, getting more and more into you know, physical activity, where it's just more rest and rehab for the last few weeks. He's getting more mobile, and I thinks start swinging at a light bat this week, hitting balls off today, hitting bows off the tee, but it's still baby steps, and still day by day."
Any progress is better than no progress. A stress fracture is hard to manage, as it depends on the player's comfort level with his at-bats and defensive tendencies. For Cuvet, having him back in the field is a plus on both sides, even with how freshman Gaberial Milano is playing.
"Any progression is encouraging, you know, but with progression comes, you, soreness, I guess, or setbacks, and when I say day to day, it might be, you, minute to minute, hour to hour. It's all on him and how he feels.
"And it can't be easy. You, as an athlete, are not able to do what you live to do. He is a big part of why we're here: the start that we had and things like that. So there's no doubt that we're better with him on the field."
Arteaga continued.
"When he's ready, you'll be out there, and until then, we get to figure out, you know, how to win without him. Milano's doing a great job at third base. He's swinging the bats well. He's got some big hits for us. I want to talk about, you know, too, it's not easy.
"I can tell you, it's not easy. I've been there before. I think every athlete has been there at some point, when you can't be out on the field with your teammates, with your brothers, helping a team win. It's not easy on him. So when he's ready, he'll be out there."
Miami will battle the winner of the Stanford-Cal matchup for the right to advance to play Boston College in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, May 20, at 1:00 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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