STARKVILLE — A Mississippi State spokesperson confirmed to The Dispatch Wednesday sophomore pitcher Brandon Smith will undergo Tommy John surgery.
Smith, who struck out two in two-thirds of an inning against Louisiana in last weekend’s fall scrimmage will likely miss the entire 2020 season.
Smith, a Richland native, spent much of the 2019 season as a reliever though he did notch three starts. He concluded the year 3-0 with a 3.93 ERA in 35 2/3 innings pitched.
Smith was expected to contend for one of MSU’s open starting roles given the departures of Ethan Small and Peyton Plumlee.
MSU now enters the season with two gaping holes in its rotation. Those spots will likely be filled by redshirt freshman Christian MacLeod and sophomore Eric Cerantola, though nothing official has been announced.
GenesPage.com first reported this story.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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