Following Tommy John surgery two years ago, Witt suffered a setback prior to the season and hasn’t pitched in nearly three weeks.
As if Tuesday’s toothless 4-1 loss by the Texas Longhorns to the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders wasn’t bad enough, head coach David Pierce revealed after the game that senior right-hander Tanner Witt will be out for an extended period of time, according to Jeff Howe of Horns247.
A Freshman All-American in 2021, Witt led the team in appearances with 28 and finished with a 5-0 record, five saves, a 3.16 ERA, and 73 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched before moving into the weekend rotation the following season and posting a 2-0 record, 1.64 ERA, and 14 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. That’s when the injury issues surfaced for the 6’6, 230-pounder as he underwent Tommy John surgery that ended his season.
Witt battled back to make six appearances in 2023, but struggled with a 10.97 ERA, allowing 13 runs on 11 hits with eight walks in 10.2 innings.
Still considered a legitimate MLB prospect, Witt opted to return to school for his senior season in hopes of elevating his draft stock and looked poise to serve as a weekend starter for Pierce. Instead, Witt suffered an undisclosed physical setback before the season and only lasted one inning against San Diego with two runs allowed on three walks.
Since then, Witt made four appearances and struggled with his command, giving up two runs on three hits over 3.1 innings against Texas A&M and three runs on three hits, all home runs, in two innings against Texas Tech on March 10. For the season, Witt has an 0-1 record and 5.79 ERA with eight walks and four home runs allowed in 9.1 innings.
As a Texas legacy who has passed up two opportunities in the MLB Draft, Witt is known for his dedication to the program, but depending in the severity of the injury, it’s possible that he’s pitched for a final time this season.
The Houston Episcopal product has one season of eligibility remaining.