Van Horn updates health of Cronin, Shaddy

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas could be without two key players for a second straight week when it plays at LSU this weekend.

Head coach Dave Van Horn said Wednesday that closer Matt Cronin (sickness) and second baseman Carson Shaddy (hand) will be on the Razorbacks' 27-man travel roster, but has varying degrees of optimism about their availability.

Cronin missed the Alabama series with a sickness that the Razorbacks originally thought was strep throat, but Van Horn revealed after Friday's game that they feared it was mononucleosis and he would be tested Monday.

Although they are now "pretty sure" that it is mono, Van Horn did not specify how long he would be out. However, he did say he doesn't expect him to be cleared to pitch against LSU.

"I’m not a doctor, but they don’t feel like it’s maybe a super bad case of it," Van Horn said. "He’s feeling a lot better, but there is protocol and we have to go by it."

Before his illness, Cronin had nine saves and a 2.76 ERA, earning him a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year midseason watch list. In his absence, Arkansas has relied on Jake Reindl and Barrett Loseke to close out games.

Shaddy was hit in the hand with a pitch in the second game at Mississippi State, causing him to miss the second game of the April 21 doubleheader and all four games last week.

Diagnosed as a "contusion," the injury caused him to wear a brace on his right hand and prevented him from gripping a bat. He was seen throwing the ball at practice Wednesday, but was visibly still hurting after taking batting practice.

"He's getting close," Van Horn said. "There's no broken bone. It's just a deep bruise.

"He's trying to swing the bat, but he's probably 70 percent at the most right now. If we played tonight I wouldn't start him."

A fifth-year senior from Fayetteville, Shaddy leads the team in slugging percentage (.661) and has the second highest batting average at .356. He also has nine home runs, which trails only Casey Martin and Eric Cole (10).

Martin, who had been the Razorbacks' starting third baseman, moved to second base in Shaddy's absense. That opened the door for Jared Gates and Jack Kenley to split time at third.

Kenley delivered arguably the biggest hit of the series on Saturday, fouling off seven pitches before notching a two-out, two-run single that gave Arkansas the lead in the sixth inning.

The Razorbacks did not have a midweek game this week. Instead, they return to action at 7 p.m. Friday against LSU in Baton Rouge, La.