Ole Miss baseball confirms ace Hunter Elliott undergoes Tommy John surgery
OXFORD, Miss. — The Rebel Walk learned Wednesday evening, per several sources, that Ole Miss ace Hunter Elliott had Tommy John surgery yesterday morning.
Ole Miss Athletics issued the following statement:
“After further examination, it was decided Hunter would need Tommy John surgery. He had the surgery done yesterday, everything went well, and he is recovering.“
Ole Miss Athletics’ statement on Hunter Elliot
According to the expert we consulted, Dr. Chad Altmyer, an orthopedic surgery specialist, a full reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) can take 12-18 months for complete recovery.
Elliott had made one appearance on the mound — that coming against LSU two weeks ago — since first experiencing forearm tightness in mid-February in the Rebels’ opening game against Delaware to start the season.
He went on a two-month-long rest and rehab protocol that involved taking several weeks off with no throwing, and then gradually worked up to throwing bullpen and then to live batters. All in all, that process took approximately eight weeks, and Elliott was medically cleared to play for the game against the Tigers.
But in his return against LSU, the Freshman All-American just did not look like he was able to settle in on the mound. His velocity was a bit off his usual level, and he just didn’t appear comfortable. On a pitch count of 50 and sitting at 49, Elliott left in the second inning after loading the bases. He faced 10 batters and walked five of them.
After Ole Miss fell 2-1 to Mississippi State in the Governor’s Cup, Coach Bianco was asked for an update on Hunter following his LSU start. He was cautious in his reply.
“Tough after that first time out and just going through rehab now. Trying to bounce back from that….”
Coach Bianco on Hunter Elliott
Now, Elliott begins the lengthy recovery and our prayers are with him as he does so.
Going forward
Now, Ole Miss is sitting at 24-21 on the season, 5-16 in league play, and is fighting to make the SEC Tournament in Hoover. Twelve teams qualify for the tournament, and the Rebels are currently tied with Missouri for 13th.
Ole Miss travels to Mizzou for a three-game series that begins tonight. First pitch Thursday is set for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. Friday’s game starts at 6:00 p.m, while Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
The Rebels announced Wednesday they will start Xavier Rivas in Thursday’s game and J.T. Quinn on Friday. The Saturday starter is listed as “TBA;” however, it is highly likely true freshman and current SEC Freshman of the Week Grayson Saunier will take the mound in game three.
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.
