Starting Alabama Baseball Pitcher Set for Tommy John Surgery

The Alabama baseball team got some bad injury news early in the 2024 campaign.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— For the second consecutive year, a season-ending injury has befallen a Saturday starter for the Alabama Crimson Tide.  

Sophomore Riley Quick, who started the No. 17 Crimson Tide's Feb. 17 game against Manhattan College, is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday afternoon, per a Facebook post from his mother. Quick had just broken into the starting rotation for the 2024 season, earning the ball for an opening-weekend start after a successful freshman campaign as a reliever.

He went just three innings in his outing against the Jaspers, striking out five without any hits on his ledger. It was the shortest start of the weekend by an Alabama arm. The right-hander tossed just 42 pitches and had previously said while it was awesome to get a spot in the starting rotation, he was ready and willing to help the team however possible. Quick became the pitcher of record in the game despite an outing spanning fewer than the customary five innings to be eligible for a win.

The Hewitt-Trussville product's ties to the Crimson Tide are not limited to his own tenure: his brother, Pierce, used to play football at the Capstone. Quick was set for a bigger role on the bump this spring, even throwing key innings in conference play during the 2023 campaign. Last season's Saturday starter was current ace Ben Hess, who ended a 322-day streak of not pitching with his Opening Day start on Feb. 16. Hess himself has battled injuries during his time in Tuscaloosa, and 2023 Opening Day starter Grayson Hitt also underwent a Tommy John procedure. 

The specific changes in the rotation that have become necessary are not immediately evident, but a potential name could be transfer Greg Farone. This might also be the time to call Alton Davis II into action, who's been built up for starts as per head coach Rob Vaughn. There's also a hypothetical possibility where Sunday starter Aidan Moza could take the ball on Saturday and the holder of the newly opened spot toes the rubber on Sunday. 

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