Arkansas junior right-hander Jaxon Wiggins will miss the 2023 season with a torn UCL that will require Tommy John Surgery, the UA announced Thursday.
According to a statement from the UA, Wiggins underwent an MRI on Wednesday, where it was determined that he suffered a tear of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). His surgery will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister, the head team physician for the Texas Rangers. A specific date for surgery has not been established at this time.
“We feel bad for Jaxon,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He worked incredibly hard over the offseason and was prepared to lead our rotation. While we are certainly disappointed that he won’t be able to see the results of his hard work on the mound this season, our priority is his health and recovery.”
According to a source, the discomfort for Wiggins started three weeks ago. He threw just one inning during Arkansas' scrimmage on Jan. 28 and he also threw a bullpen within the last two weeks. The initial MRI didn’t reveal anything serious, but he went in for an MRI on Wednesday night and it revealed the UCL injury.
This marks the second straight year that the potential ace for the Diamond Hogs has suffered a torn UCL in the preseason, as righty Peyton Pallette suffered the same fate prior to the 2022 season.
A spokesperson told HawgBeat after Monday's scrimmage that Wiggins was dealing with "soreness" but there was no indication that it was more serious. Now, the Razorbacks will be without a key piece to a pitching staff that Van Horn has described as his deepest ever.
"The fastball has always been the fastball, but he's been able to throw strikes with his offspeed stuff, and I think that gives you the most hope that he's going to be able to do what we expect him to do," pitching coach Matt Hobbs said after Monday's scrimmage.
Wiggins was part of Arkansas' starting rotation for a majority of the 2022 regular season. The Roland, Oklahoma, native made 17 appearances and 15 starts, earning a 6-3 record with a 6.55 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 66.0 innings.
As a sophomore in 2022, Wiggins notched six scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a start agains Kentucky on March 20, and he recorded multiple strikeouts in 16 of his 17 outings on the year, including a career-high nine in a start against LSU on April 16.
Wiggins is ranked No. 41 in D1Baseball’s 2023 MLB Draft College Top 100, No. 55 in MLB Pipeline’s 2023 MLB Draft Top 100 and listed as the No. 61 overall prospect in Baseball America’s 2023 draft rankings.
As mentioned, Arkansas' pitching staff is deep and the news of Wiggins' injury likely confirms a starting rotation of LHP Hagen Smith, LHP Hunter Hollan and RHP Will McEntire (in no particular order).
Arkansas, which is No. 6 in the D1Baseball preseason top-25, is set to open its season next Friday, Feb. 17 against the Texas Longhorns at the College Baseball Showdown.
