Ole Miss ace Gunnar Hoglund suffers torn UCL, will have Tommy John surgery

OXFORD — Ole Miss ace Gunnar Hoglund, projected to be a top 10 pick in the MLB Draft, suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (known as “UCL”) in his throwing arm and will require season-ending “Tommy John” surgery, according to an Ole Miss Athletics spokesperson.

The UCL connects the inside of your upper arm (humerus) to the inside of your forearm (ulna) and helps support and stabilize your arm.

Statement from Ole Miss Athletics on Gunnar Hoglund

In 2018, Hoglund was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft as a high school athlete; however, he chose to attend Ole Miss and play for the Rebels.

Hoglund did not start against LSU three weeks ago with what was described as “bicep stiffness,” but then returned to start the opening game of the South Carolina series. He gave up one hit with no runs nor walks in 6.0 innings pitched. He notched 9 strikeouts and was named SEC Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career.

Then, in a 9-8 loss to A&M three days ago, Hoglund was pulled in the first inning. After that game against the Aggies, head coach Mike Bianco told media Hoglund had experienced some “forearm stiffness” with a few pitches as he warmed up but was later cleared to play by the team trainer.

Unfortunately, during his first inning on the mound, Hoglund again experienced some stiffness that affected his location and command, and he left the game after just 18 pitches.

While two days ago, most Rebels were lamenting the loss of the series to A&M, this puts things in a much more somber perspective. Hoglund will have season-ending Tommy John surgery that most likely will mean a recovery and rehabilitation period of at least one year.

Hoglund was projected to be a top 10 pick in the upcoming 2021 MLB Draft in June.

INJURY NEWS: Just crushing info out of Oxford, as All-American RHP Gunnar Hoglund will miss the rest of the season because of a UCL tear. Just awful news for a surpremely talented pitcher and #OleMiss. Hoglund was No. 4 on our latest College Top 100 list. #MLBDraft

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 11, 2021

Our thoughts and prayers go to Gunnar as he begins the healing process. 

(Feature image courtesy Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.