LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas junior right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins will be sidelined for the 2023 season after an MRI on Wednesday revealed a tear of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
The university confirmed Thursday that Wiggins will have his surgery performed by Dr. Keith Meister, the head physician for the Texas Rangers.
Arkansas Athletics said there is no set date for surgery at this time.
"We feel bad for Jaxon," Arkansas head baseball 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."
Wiggins was a standout during the Razorbacks' record-setting season on the mound last year. The Arkansas pitching staff set a new school record with 647 strikeouts in 2022 with Wiggins accounting for 82 strikeouts— the third most on the team.
In addition, the junior right-handed pitcher started 15 of the 17 games he appeared in, posting a 6-3 record with a 6.55 ERA over 66 innings.
Last season, Wiggins finished tied for second on the team in starts (15), second in win-loss percentage (.667), third in innings pitched (66), third in strikeouts (82), third in opposing batting average (.253) third in ERA (6.55) and allowed the least amount of hits (65).
He 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.