Tony Vitello pleased with progress, updates the status of pitcher AJ Russell  

When Tony Vitello met with members of the media Wednesday morning to breakdown the start of preseason practices, the skipper gave an update on injured star pitcher AJ Russell.

“I think he’s in line with what he should be,” Vitello answered. “I made the comment a couple times, by the halfway point, he’ll be pitching for us. All of us would like that to be sooner but there’s some steps along the way to knock out.”

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.

The 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.  

“It’s not like I don’t talk to Woody [Director of Sports Medicine Jeff Wood] or watch his bullpens and talk to Frank [Anderson], but my first instinct to answer that question is where he looks physically,” Vitello began the answer on Russell. “Went from a skinny kid and then growing into his body and different transformations, he looks so good physically right now. I think that’s a tribute to him taking care of himself and making his comeback or rehab go as smoothly as possible.”

Russell has been active and on track with his recovery, already throwing bullpen sessions. He’s expected to face live hitters in simulated situations soon. Tennessee will continue bringing him along slowly while building him up. The start of Southeastern Conference play (mid-March) could be within reach for the hurler, but the exact timeline for his season-debut is still to be determined. The only concrete answer, on the record, was Vitello’s Wednesday comments.   

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.

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 recordinga 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.

That game was his first action since leaving the top of the ninth inning in a game 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.