The Texas baseball lineup might get an important reinforcement this weekend with the Longhorns set to host Georgia in a crucial SEC series.
Adrian Rodriguez was left out of the lineup again Tuesday after he missed the final two games of Texas' series at Mizzou with an undisclosed injury. But coach Jim Schlossnagle said he feels "moderately confident" that Rodriguez will be available for the Longhorns at some point during the weekend.
"I think he's going to get better each day," Schlossnagle said Tuesday. "He's done everything but hit and feels great. But obviously, you can't play him unless he's hitting."
Schlossnagle highlighted Rodriguez's importance as a lefthanded bat in the middle of the Texas lineup considering Max Belyeu's absence. Belyeu, the former Big 12 Player of the Year and another lefthanded slugger, officially holds a "week-to-week" status after injuring his thumb while making a diving play in the outfield.
Through 24 games, Rodriguez has delivered one of the more notable freshman performances in the country, hitting .326 with a .953 OPS and five home runs. The Longhorns have used him at third base and as a designated hitter this season. Casey Borba played third base for Texas on Tuesday and made key defensive mistakes in a 5-3 loss to Texas State.
Along with Belyeu and Rodriguez, Rylan Galvan was the third important Longhorn bat to suffer an injury in the Mizzou series. The catcher took a foul ball off his bare right hand while behind the plate and was removed from the game.
He returned to the lineup for the Longhorns against Texas State, but did so as the designated hitter.
Schlossnagle was asked about the timeline for Galvan returning to his usual role.
"He's almost able to be all the way back," Schlossnagle said. "I would anticipate him being fine by Friday, but the throwing a little bit was just bothering him."
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