FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles had shoulder surgery this week that will prevent him from practicing this fall, but he is expected to return in time for the 2022 season, a UA spokesperson confirmed to HawgBeat.
After suffering a dislocated shoulder while playing summer ball, Battles had hoped to rehab the injury, but he got an MRI last Friday and opted to go ahead with surgery Wednesday. The injury is to his left, non-throwing shoulder.
The recovery timeline for this injury is about 20 weeks, which means he’ll be out for all of fall ball, but he’s expected to ramp up activities this winter and be ready to play next spring.
"Road to recovery!" Battles wrote on Twitter. "See ya in the spring Baum!"
Battles is a key returning starter for the Razorbacks. Playing in and starting 61 of 63 games last season, he hit .269/.371/.407 with six home runs and 43 RBIs while playing tremendous defense at shortstop.
With a glove that former MLB manager John McLaren told HawgBeat was big-league ready even before he arrived in Fayetteville, Battles figured to be a relatively high pick in this summer’s MLB Draft. Instead, he made the surprising decision to return to return to Arkansas for another season.
Following the draft, Battles returned to his hometown of San Antonio to play summer ball for McLaren again with the Flying Chanclas in the Texas Collegiate League. He got off to a hot start, going 10 for 25 (.400) with five RBIs, but injured his shoulder after driving in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of his sixth game.
In his absence, the Razorbacks will likely get a look at multiple infield combinations this fall. All-SEC second baseman Robert Moore is back as a junior and has played some shortstop, making him the top candidate to fill in for Battles.
However, Arkansas also added a pair of highly touted infielders this offseason who made it to campus despite being top MLB Draft prospects. Peyton Stovall was in several first-round mock drafts, but went undrafted after he announced his intentions to come to school, while Drake Varnado slipped to the 17th round after making a similar announcement and opted not to sign.
With questions surrounding his arm, Stovall is projected to be a second baseman at the next level, but he could get a look at other spots, as well. Varnado has a stronger arm and would probably be a more natural fit at shortstop. Both of them were top-100 recruits, according to Perfect Game, checking it at No. 47 and No. 93, respectively.
Assuming Battles makes a full recovery, as expected, he’ll be the Razorbacks’ starting shortstop and Moore will likely remain at second base. With first baseman Brady Slavens also making the surprising decision to return to Arkansas, that leaves just one spot in the infield up for grabs, making this fall a critical time for head coach Dave Van Horn and the team.
