He’s Back: AJ Russell makes return to the mound, starting Tuesday midweek
Tennessee right-handed pitcher AJ Russell is starting Tuesday’s midweek contest for the Vols against North Alabama, making his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June following a injury-plagued 2024 sophomore season.
Tennessee made the announcement Tuesday afternoon just hours ahead of first pitch with the Lions. The pitch count will be low and Russell is expected to only throw one inning during his first appearance back.
The rising junior was limited for the majority of his second year in the program after beginning the 2024 campaign as the club’s Opening Day starter. After some time off, rehab and a couple of returns to the mound following the initial injury, Russell needed Tommy John surgery in June.
Surgery was a success and proved a shorter recovery timeline as the repair was done with an internal brace, putting him on track to be back on the mound for the Orange & White at some point in 2025. Rough estimates of his recovery timeline following surgery on June 11 was anywhere from 8-10 months.
The talented 2025 MLB Draft prospect was limited to just 14.1 innings over six appearances with four starts in 2024. He posted an 0-1 record with a 5.02 ERA with 21 strikeouts to eight walks.
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Russell made his second appearance back from lengthy injury in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament championship game against LSU in May – a game Tennessee won 4-3 over the Tigers – when the ESPN broadcast showed athletic trainer Jeff Wood checking on Russell in the Tennessee dugout after the first inning. He wasn’t scheduled to pitch more than one or maybe two innings in the contest. He surrendered a towering 471-foot home run off the bat of Jared Jones in the first inning as the Tigers took an early 1-0 lead after first recording a pair of quick outs.
The hurler faced five batters, hit a batter and struck out two over 22 pitches during a scoreless relief appearance earlier in the 2024 SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt – which was his first action back on the mound in 60 days after coming back from his second lengthy injury time out of last season.
Russell left the ballgame in the ninth inning against Ole Miss on March 23 after missing the previous 30 days that stemmed from being sideline during his second start of the year. Russell dazzled in the 2024 season-opener against No. 18 Texas Tech in Arlington, striking out 10 batters while allowing only three hits across 4.1 innings in the opening day start.
The junior was recently ranked No. 43 in MLB.com’s Top-100 2025 Draft Prospects. He was one of five Vols included on the list.
