Arkansas to be without key OF for 1 month, per Dave Van Horn
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Arkansas will be without a key member of its outfield for about a month, Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn revealed Tuesday. Damian Ruiz suffered a left-knee injury leaping after a home run ball in Arkansas’s Sunday game against Florida.
“You’ve just got to take some time with it,” Van Horn said Tuesday on the Razorback Sports Network before the Missouri State game, per Matt Jones of Whole Hog Sports. “We’re very fortunate he didn’t tear it, but he really hurt his patellar tendon. They’re doing all they can to get him back.”
Despite the injury, Ruiz is on the road trip. The Hogs are in Springfield, Missouri to face Missouri State. They’ll play Auburn in a 3-game series beginning Thursday.
“He wanted to come on the trip,” Van Horn said, per Jones. “I gave him the option to stay back and relax and rest that thing, and he wouldn’t have any of it. He’ll be traveling and limping and being with the team.”
Ruiz joined Arkansas baseball ahead of the 2026 season, Year 4 of his college career. He played his first 2 seasons at Houston Christian before a 2025 stop at Lamar, where he was the Southland Conference Hitter of the Year and all-conference first team after slashing .388/.511/.607 with 7 home runs and 46 RBIs.
This season, Ruiz was off to a strong start for the Hogs. A 26-game starter, he’s slashing .330/.456/.484 with 30 hits in 91 at-bats, notching 3 home runs and 12 RBIs, adding 8 stolen bases.
Arkansas and Missouri State have been locked in a back-and-forth battle on Tuesday night. Arkansas struck first, but Missouri State went up 6-1 in the bottom of the 2nd. The Razorbacks took a 7-6 lead in the top of the 4th. Missouri State retook the lead 9-7 in the bottom of the 4th, but the Hogs responded with 3 runs in the top of the 5th to go up 10-9. Missouri State has gone in front again, leading 12-10 in the bottom of the 6th.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
