Gavin Dugas reveals surprising details about eye surgery, recovery

LSU slugger Gavin Dugas returned from eye surgery in a big way this weekend. The slugger has already blasted two home runs this weekend for the Tigers, the second one was a 374-foot bomb that put LSU up on Western Michigan, 7-1. It’s been an impressive return to the diamond for him, especially since he revealed how serious the situation was recently. He had surgery on the eye around Thanksgiving, then started his recovery around Christmas time, before suffering a setback before the preseason started.

According to Koki Riley of USA Today, Dugas never noticed how bad it was until he looked at it, despite nearly being legally blind in the eye. Riley also mentioned that Dugas is obviously healed and now he wears a special contact in his left eye.

The Tigers swept Western Michigan this weekend, 3-0, after winning 9-2 in Sunday’s finale.

In 2022, Dugas played in 39 games, batting .306 with eight doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, and 26 runs scored. He blasted a crucial home run–a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning in the championship game of the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional vs. Southern Miss. The solo home run tied the game up at 7-7.

In 2021, Dugas made 62 starts in left field, finishing third in the league in home runs (19) and ranking fifth in the league in slugging percentage (.641). In LSU’s seven NCAA Tournament games in 2021, he tallied eight hits, one double, two triples, three home runs, six RBIs, and seven home runs.

In 2020, Dugas played in 13 games, starting in seven of them. In 2019, he missed two months of the season from late February until late April with a thumb injury.

Before joining LSU, he earned 2018 All-American honors from Rawlings. His senior season at Houma Christian High School, he batted .452 with 33 hits, 34 RBIs, 10 home runs, and 46 runs scored.