Tony Vitello offers injury update on AJ Russell

Ahead of the final regular season series of the season, Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello shared an injury update on pitcher AJ Russell.

Russell hasn’t pitched for Tennessee since March, when he gave up four runs in three innings against Ole Miss. Now, Vitello says that he has been throwing as part of his rehab, but the team still wants to be cautious in his return from injury.

“He threw a pen today and felt good,” Tony Vitello said. “He has been on the mound a couple times now. So, it’s kind of time — and I have been open whether I should or not — it is not like we don’t want to use the weapons we have, but if we can have success without him, it buys both of us time. Because the one thing I can tell you with 100 percent conviction, everyone has to heart his future. The microscope of it or the shorter term of it is next year, where he will be the leader of a staff and be a huge part of it on the mound. Then, also we all know what he has shown, he can play for a long time.”

This season, AJ Russell has thrown 12.1 innings in four appearances with three of those being starts, resulting in a 5.11 ERA. That comes after he had a 0.89 ERA in 24 appearances and one start in 2023.

“Now, having said that, if he goes through all the steps and he is ready to go, he is a competitor and he is a great teammate. Our guys want him back. I’d like to see him out there. So it’s kind of where does it all meet? We are kind of to that point now where it’s time to decide what is the best way for him to get back out there. We’ll hook up and kind of meet and make sure, first of all, that he feels good. There has been times where he has thrown and if he doesn’t feel good, we stop in our tracks and even kind of backpedal a little bit,” Vitello said.

“Today’s bullpen was good. We will see how he feels tomorrow. Then, in an ideal world, it is time to start strategizing when would he throw in a game for us.”

The next step for AJ Russell, according to Tony Vitello, is to face some of Tennessee’s own batters in a live setting. After that, the Volunteers can look to finding a spot to get him back on the field.

“I’ve told you guys this and just from my, I didn’t know what I was doing, but being a pitching coach at Missouri the little stamp of approval was let’s face some of our guys first. Because the adrenaline kicks up when a guy might be swinging a bat because to get him out when he’s just standing in is to locate. To get him out when he’s standing in and swinging is different. So that adrenaline kicks in and is a good thing for your body and your arm. But I’d prefer you face some of our guys and then get organized on what the next best day is.”

The season is rapidly ending for Tennessee, with just one regular season series against South Carolina left. After that, the Volunteers will go to Hoover for the SEC Tournament.