It’s been a tough year on the injury front for Georgia’s pitching staff.
Projected key contributors Logan Moody, Garrett Brown and Will Childers haven’t pitched all season. Weekend starter C.J. Smith made just three starts before sustaining a shoulder injury that cost him the rest of the 2021 campaign.
The latest and biggest blow came on Wednesday afternoon, when Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin announced starting pitcher Ryan Webb will miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury.
“He came back, he wanted to help lead this team to Omaha, get us to the postseason three years in a row,” Stricklin said. “It’s tough. He’s such a hard-working kid. It means a lot to him. But he’s handled it really well. He’s a team captain for a reason.”
The full extent of the injury is not yet known. Stricklin said the staff hoped to have more details in the coming days, but the ailment is severe enough to sideline the senior pitcher for the rest of the season.
Webb has been a fixture in Georgia’s weekend rotation since missing the first series of the season. In 11 starts, he has posted a 3-4 record with a 3.32 ERA. In his 59.2 innings he notched 82 strikeouts, 28 more than the next closest Bulldog on the staff.
On April 29 against Auburn, Webb departed after six scoreless innings and just over 60 pitches due to back tightness. In his most recent start against No. 1 Arkansas, he held the Razorbacks scoreless through four before tiring and allowing four runs in 6.1 frames.
After finding out the news, Webb delivered an emotional address to the team on Tuesday.
“He loves this team, he loves his teammates,” Stricklin said. “He wants to be here for them.”
Webb will be in the dugout for the final series of the regular season at home against Ole Miss. Stricklin also said Webb, along with other injured pitchers like Moody and Smith, will accompany the team to the SEC tournament in Hoover, Al.
Freshman Liam Sullivan will step into Webb’s typical Friday role this weekend against Florida. He pitched lights-out last weekend against Arkansas, allowing three hits and one run while striking out 11 in six innings.
Georgia has been piecing it together all year on the pitching staff. Now, as the season nears its end, the Bulldogs will have to soldier on without their veteran ace.