He’s got a long road back.
According to multiple reports now, Tennessee right-hander AJ Russell has been shut down for the season and will undergo Tommy John surgery. Russell was declared out last weekend during the Super Regionals, and now will officially miss the remainder of the NCAA Tournament.
The timeline for recovery from surgery is roughly one year, so obviously his status for next season is now in doubt. Keep in mind too that Russell is considered a top MLB prospect for 2025.
We last saw Russell in the SEC Tournament, where he worked an inning each against Vanderbilt and LSU. Russell seemed to reaggravate his elbow in the title game against LSU.
Russell was set to be Tennessee’s top starter this season, but multiple injuries created a choppy season. The sophomore righty is coming off of a fantastic freshman season, which saw him post an 0.89 ERA over 30 innings pitched. Set for a largely expanded role as a starter this year, Russell only made six appearances, working just 14.1 innings. He finishes with a 5.02 ERA.
“Nothing specific as far as what the next step will be for him, but he’ll be unavailable,” Tony Vitello said last week. “So, it’s kind of coach Russell or coach AJ for now, kind of as Billy did for a couple weeks there.
“He’s still involved in practice and things like that right now, but he’s kind of assumed a role in the dugout where he takes on some other duties, and to me, I enjoyed being around him. So, for now that’s his task and we’ll see where we get but more than likely would be shut down for the year.”
Tennessee moves on without Russell, as they have for the majority of the year. The Volunteers open the College World Series on Friday night against Florida State.