Tony Vitello offers injury update on AJ Russell ahead of SEC Tournament

Tennessee pitcher AJ Russell appears set to take the mound for the first time since March at the SEC Tournament later this week.

Vols head coach Tony Vitello provided an update on the sophomore on Monday before Tennessee left for Hoover.

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“Yea, I think, you know, when and where and how will depend a little bit,” Tony Vitello said. “I didn’t talk with him, I guess. I told you guys he was done getting on the mound before we’d go there, but he put in some work on the mound today, which was good. I’d rather he pile up some reps and feel comfortable.”

This season, AJ Russell has thrown 12 1/3 innings across four appearances, with three of those being starts. He has a 5.11 ERA. That comes after AJ Russell had a 0.89 ERA in 24 appearances and one start in 2023.

The Vols are the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament and are set to face the winner of Florida and Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

Vitello expects AJ Russell to pitch in one of the first two games.

“We’ll see [Tuesday] where he’s at and decide where’s the best spot to insert him. Because all we’re guaranteed is two games, so somewhere in those first two games,” Vitello said.

SEC to utilize double first base for league baseball tournament

The Southeastern Conference will utilize a double first base throughout the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament, the league announced on Monday, via Mike Rodak.

“The purpose of the double first base is to reduce collisions between the defense and the batter-runner at first base. It has been utilized in a number of SEC non-conference contests this season,” the release stated.

The SEC has also provided an in-depth description of the rules that players need to adhere to with the utilization of a double base. These include:

• A batted ball hitting or bounding over the white portion of the bag is a fair ball. A batted ball hitting or bounding over the colored (orange or green) bag without first touching or bounding over the white section is foul.

• When an initial play is being made on the batter-runner at first base, the defense must use the white section of the double base and the batter-runner must use the colored base except in the case of a dropped third strike. After a dropped third strike, if the fielder is drawn to the side of the colored base, the runner would go the white base and the fielder to the colored base. On a dropped third strike, the fielder and batter-runner may touch either the white or colored base.

• If there is a play on the batter-runner and the batter-runner touches only the white portion of the double base and the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to first base, it is treated the same as missing the base. Penalty: Batter-runner is out.

• On extra-base hits or other balls hit to the outfield when there is no chance for a play to be made at the double base, the batter-runner may touch either the white or colored section of the base. Should, however, the batter-runner reach and go beyond first base, they may only return to the white section of the base.

• Once the batter-runner reaches first base, they shall then use only the white base.