Texas Shortstop Adrian Rodriguez to Miss Weeks After Hand Procedure

Texas Longhorns sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez will be sidelined for a crucial part of the SEC season after undergoing a minor procedure on his injured hand. The injury, which he sustained last year during a game against the Missouri Tigers, has continued to plague him, prompting this latest medical intervention.

As reported by Baseball America, Rodriguez is set to have a staple removed from his hand, a staple that was originally placed during a procedure last fall to alleviate persistent pain. Unfortunately, this solution did not resolve the underlying issue, and Rodriguez’s performance this season has clearly been affected. His slugging percentage has plummeted from .516 last year, when he was fully healthy, to just .383 this season. After hitting five of his seven home runs before the injury last year, he has yet to clear the fences this season. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle expressed optimism last week, suggesting that if Rodriguez were at full health, he could have hit six to eight home runs in 2026.

Standing at 6’2” and weighing 200 pounds, Rodriguez was batting an impressive .326 before being hit by a pitch in Columbia. He concluded the 2025 season with a .313 average, but has seen that figure dip to .271 this year.

In Rodriguez’s absence, Texas has a capable alternative at shortstop. Redshirt senior Temo Becerra, who has played 68 games at the position throughout his four-year career at Stanford, is poised to step in. However, it remains uncertain how Schlossnagle will adjust the lineup at third base. A likely scenario is that junior Casey Borba will transition back to third from first base, allowing graduate Josh Livingston to take over at first, where he has experience from his time at Wichita State, having played 35 games there over two seasons.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.