Mark Wasikowski provides status update on Oregon Friday starter Jace Stoffal
Oregon was without its Friday night starter, Jace Stoffal, during last weekend’s series at USC and struggled badly in the junior right-hander’s absence.
The No. 24 Ducks (31-16, 14-10 Pac-12) dropped their Friday and Sunday matchups to the Trojans.
While meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Wasikowski provided a positive outlook on the health status of Stoffal but did not confirm that the Ducks’ ace will be available this weekend.
“We didn’t announce Jace as a starter last week — we announced Leo Uelmen as a starter last week,” Wasikowski said. “So, he didn’t get scratched as a starter, he got backed up. We took him on the (USC) trip hoping that he would be able to pitch by Sunday. He actually threw in the bullpen on Sunday and thought that he might be able to go. But we thought that it wouldn’t be responsible to pitch him last weekend.”
“We’re trying to get him back in the mix as soon as we can get him back in the mix because he’s so valuable. So, it’s a day-to-day thing with him. As soon as we can get him back out there, we’re gonna get him back out there.”
Wasikowski said that Stoffal threw a bullpen on Tuesday and that it went well, but also acknowledged that the right-hander “isn’t 100% yet.”
“His arm is fine,” Wasikowski said. “It’s a different kind of a deal that I don’t wanna get into but when he’s ready to go, he’s gonna be out there. When he’s not ready to go, and it’s not responsible for him to be out there, we’re not gonna pitch him.”
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Stoffal, a Roseburg, Ore., native who spent his first season at Umpqua Community College before transferring to Oregon ahead of the 2022 campaign, has emerged as one of the Pac-12’s top starters this spring.
He is 6-2 on the year with a 2.83 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings.
For an Oregon squad that has lacked consistency from its weekend starters, his absence looms large.
With Stoffal sidelined last weekend, freshman righty Leo Uelmen was inserted into the Friday night starter spot and surrendered six runs on six hits over 2 1/3 innings.
Later that weekend, the Trojans tagged Oregon’s Sunday starter, Matthew Grabmann, for six runs on five hits over 2.0 innings.
Wasikowski said he will meet with Oregon pitching coach Jake Angier this afternoon to decide on the Ducks’ rotation for this weekend’s series against Washington in Eugene.
