FAYETTVILLE – Arkansas right-handed pitcher Dylan Carter requires Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the 2023 season has come to an end due to the UCL rupture. “It has been an amazing season. Our team’s season is not over yet. After the season, Omaha I will be the best teammate and supporter as I start my run for .
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said Monday Carter is having his second MRI of the day.
“The first MRI was negative, which means there were no tears,” Van Horn told Swatter’s Club on Monday. is an MRI of [Monday] with dye. They’ll put dye in your arm and find any kind of tear… so we can be 100% sure about him.
Carter is a redshirt sophomore at the Bentonville West, the third pitcher to suffer a season-ending injury on the Arkansas front line, and the second to require Tommy John surgery. Right-hander Jackson Wiggins suffered a preseason injury and will undergo Tommy John surgery in February, while right-hander Coty Frank will repair an injured latissimus dorsi muscle during the March 5 game against Light State. Had surgery.
Wiggins is a potential high-round draft pick in this year’s MLB Draft. Frank plans to return to the program next season.
Carter’s prospects for playing in 2024 seem shaky, given the long timeline, typically around a year, to recover from Tommy John surgery. A team spokesman said Wednesday that a surgery date has yet to be scheduled.
Carter has been a reliable weekend arm since Frank’s injury, but after a 38-pitch outing in Georgia on April 20, he began to develop pain in his elbow. In the next outing, last Thursday’s game against Texas A&M, Carter left the game after throwing his 24. He pitched and complained of pain again.
“He’s been hurting and hurting all the time,” Van Horn said after an outing at Texas A&M. “That’s probably not a good sign.”
Carter appeared in 16 games, going 6-0 with two saves and a 3.65 ERA in 37 innings.
The coach asked the pitcher to improve his pitching ability by 5% or more following injuries to Brady Tygart (UCL sprain) and Frank in early March that same week. Tigart returned from injury with his 20 pitches against Texas A&M last week and is expected to continue to pitch more every week.
Following a four 2/3 inning relief win against Tennessee on April 16, which Van Horn called “Guts,” Carter said more than a few pitchers answered the call.
“I think the whole pitching staff has stepped up,” Carter said. “I don’t think they gave 5%. I think they tried as hard as they could. It’s huge that we’ve been able to do what we’ve been doing and we’ll have Brady soon. Coming back makes it even bigger.” We really stepped up and accepted the challenge.”
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn speaks at Media Day at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville on Friday, January 20, 2023. (NWA Democratic Gazette/Andy Shupe)