Elbow issue sidelines UGA's top pitcher Ryan Webb
With six SEC games to go against Florida and Ole Miss, news that starting pitcher Ryan Webb will be sidelined is not what head coach Scott Stricklin wanted to hear.
Stricklin confirmed the news during Wednesday’s Zoom session with reporters: Webb will be out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.
“We’re just waiting for more details. When you’ve got something like that, you take a picture, people put their heads together and talk about what to do,” Stricklin said. “We don’t have a definitive answer, but he will be shut down for the remainder of our season and what happens next is still up in the air.”
This obviously is terrible news for a Bulldog team (28-18, 11-13) that travels to No. 9 Florida for three games starting on Friday.
Webb has been the Bulldogs’ top starting pitcher, going 3-4, an ERA of 3.32 with 82 strikeouts in just 59.2 innings.
“He was pretty emotional. He came back and really wanted to help this team, help get us to the postseason for three years in a row,” Stricklin said. “It’s tough. He’s such a hard-working kid. It means a lot to him. He’s handling it really well. He’s a team captain for a reason. He’s handled it well, but it’s tough.”
Senior outfielder Connor Tate said the team took the news as well as could be expected.
“(Stricklin) sent us an internal message, and it really motivated us to play for him, play for each other,” Tate said. “We’re going to really try and play for him.”
Webb’s injury is just the latest in what’s been a tough year for Bulldog pitchers on the injury front.
Georgia already was without Will Childers and Garrett Brown (Tommy John surgery in both cases), and recently shut CJ Smith down for a year after issues with a sore left arm.
“When you look at our depth chart, when we started in the fall, four of our top five guys are not pitching,” Stricklin said. “Three of them haven’t pitched all year. CJ Smith pitched a little at the beginning of the season, but Will Childers and Garrett Brown and those guys getting hurt in the fall, it has been tough. But I’m really proud of our pitching staff and how they’ve been able to piece it together, get it done, and put us in a position to be in the postseason.”
With Webb out, Georgia’s starting rotation is a shell of what used to be.
Liam Sullivan (1-1, 3.96) will start the game on Friday. Stricklin hopes to have an announcement for the rest of the rotation on Thursday.
One of the candidates includes freshman Jaden Woods (3-0, 4.00).
Stricklin said Webb will be around to offer his support.
“That’s one of the things about Ryan. He wants to be here for his teammates,” Stricklin said. “He addressed the team yesterday and it was emotional. He loves this team; he loves his teammates, and he wants to be here for them. He’ll be in the dugout for Ole Miss and he’ll travel to the SEC Tournament.”
