Peyton Stovall injury sidelines star Arkansas second baseman for rest of season

League leader Arkansas has suffered a significant blow just before the final weekend in the Southeastern Conference race. Second baseman Peyton Stovall has been sidelined by injury for the rest of the season due to a torn labrum.

Coach Dave Van Horn revealed the grim news on Wednesday, with the team preparing for a weekend series against No. 12 Vanderbilt.

Stovall had started 38 games but hadn’t made an appearance since April 29 against Texas A&M.

He had been a mainstay for the team in the infield prior to his season-ending injury, picking up right where he left off after a fantastic freshman season in 2022 in which he was named to the NCAA Stillwater Regional All-Tournament Team.

The talented second baseman had hit .253 on the season for the Razorbacks, with four doubles, a triple and five home runs. He had 31 RBI and had also drawn 15 walks, getting on base a good deal for the Razorbacks.

That came just one year after he played in 52 games as a freshman. During that freshman campaign he hit .295 with eight doubles and six home runs, knocking in 31 RBI and walking 19 times.

Peyton Stovall’s injury was previously thought to be shoulder tendinitis, the reason he hadn’t played in the last three weeks.

As for Arkansas, it will have to make do without Stovall as a well-contested SEC race comes to a close. At 19-8 in the conference, Arkansas sports a one-game lead on Florida in the SEC standings with three games to play. LSU sits a game and a half back, while Vanderbilt trails by two games.

Arkansas is set to face Vanderbilt, while Florida will take on No. 19 Kentucky and LSU will face Georgia.

First pitch in the Arkansas-Vanderbilt series is slated for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday in Nashville, with a broadcast on linear television on the SEC Network. Arkansas last won the Southeastern Conference in 2021.