Jon Michelini isn’t a name most Florida Gators baseball fans would recognize. He’s the head athletic trainer for the Gators baseball team and he’s been busy this season. Between three separate broken hamates, two elbow injuries, shoulder soreness an ankle sprain and, most recently, Ryan Larson getting hit in the head, Michelini has been busy this season.
The Gators have had five players miss extended time this season due to various injuries. Freshman pitcher/outfielder Andrew Baker was the first casualty. Baker broke the hamate bone in his right, non-throwing hand and was limited to just pitching to start the season. Freshman outfielder/pitcher Austin Langworthy suffered the same injury and missed the first month of conference play. Mike Rivera made it three hamate bone injuries and he missed the final month of the season.
During the middle of the season Dalton Guthrie sat out several weeks with elbow soreness after going through offseason surgery. The Gators also had to replace Jonathan India for a time as he too dealt with a tender elbow. If you’re keeping score at home that’s the entire left side of the infield, two pitchers out of the bullpen that also double as left handed options to pinch hit. Before his injury, Langworthy had earned a starting role in left field.
Guthrie’s most recent injury occurred the final week of the season. Guthrie grounded a ball in the hole to shortstop. The throw sailed high and towards the line. When Guthrie ducked to avoid a tag and extended to reach first base he turned his right ankle and had to be helped off the field. Guthrie missed the Gators’ next four games but is expected to make a return to the field this Friday when the Gators open up conference play.
Dalton Guthrie (sprained ankle) at prax today — he’s expected to return to the lineup for Regionals #Gators pic.twitter.com/QHwIvcWg0Y
— Grace Remington CBS4 (@Grace_Remi) May 31, 2017
Getting Guthrie back is huge for the Gators
“He moved around really good yesterday, he was doing some sprints, took some ground balls, he’s been taking some BP this past weekend up in Hoover, so I think he’ll be ready,” Kevin O’Sullivan said of Guthrie.
The injury bug followed Florida to Hoover, Alabama and the SEC Tournament. In Florida’s second game Ryan Larson was hit in the head by a pitch. Larson remained in the game but after running the bases, “didn’t look right,” according to O’Sullivan and the Gators replaced him in the outfield. Larson will not play this weekend in the Gainesville Regional but Florida hopes he could play next week if the Gators advance to a Super Regional.
Nick Horvath, who is second on the team in appearances on the mound, replaced Larson in the field. O’Sullivan regards Horvath as the Gators’ best defensive outfielder. Horvath wouldn’t finish that game against Mississippi State. He charged a line drive in center field, slid in an attempt to make the catch but came up short. The ball took a sharp hop and caught Horvath right in the mouth. Michelini was out of the dugout almost before the play was over and quickly had a towel over Horvath’s lip, which was bleeding and needed stitches. Horvath wouldn’t play in the Gators’ third and final game in the SEC Tournament but he will play in center field for the Gators this weekend with Larson out.
“We’re going to need him on the mound as well, so obviously the DH rule, moving him from center to the mound is going to be interesting so we’re going to have to think that thing through a little bit,” O’Sullivan said of Horvath. “But right now, we’re looking at probably him with center because of his defense.”
This mix and match, plug and play, next man up recipe has worked so far. The Gators shared the SEC Championship with LSU, posting a 42-16 record. It has, however been difficult. Sophomore Christian Hicks has had to play everywhere, literally. Hicks ha played all four-infield positions this season after barely playing his freshman season and coming into the season starting, but platooning, at first base. It’s made Florida versatile though. The bench is deeper, more experienced than it has been because so many role players have had to take on starting roles throughout the season.
“We have more injuries than I’ve ever seen and it’s really tough to overcome one key injury, but we’ve had so many,” junior JJ Schwarz said. “I think that speaks a lot about our team, how deep we are and the obstacles we’ve overcome.”
The Gators will be at full strength, minus Larson, for the first time in a long time. They’re hoping Michelini gets the weekend off as well.