Injuries have Hurricanes relying on freshmen in key roles as season winds down
Three of the Miami Hurricanes baseball team’s top hitters are dealing with injuries as the regular season winds down.
And that has forced freshmen into the lineup and into new roles during a critical stretch with the Hurricanes still chasing a berth into the NCAA tournament.
Third baseman Daniel Cuvet has been out since April 22, first getting an extra day of rest following West Coast travel after Miami’s series at Stanford, then missing the home series against California after wisdom teeth removal and now sidelined for two weeks and counting with a stress fracture in his back. Saturday’s series finale against Louisville, a 10-8 win and UM’s final home game of the regular season, was the 10th consecutive game Cuvet has been sidelined.
Cuvet was hitting .305 with 12 home runs, 14 doubles and 45 RBI.
Hurricanes coach J.D. Arteaga said there remains no timetable for Cuvet’s return.
“Until it’s gone or it heals, there’s really nothing you can do,” Arteaga said. “There’s no rehab for it. It’s a matter of healing and then starting his rehab and seeing when he’s ready to play again. I wish I could give you a timetable there but there really isn’t one.”
Gabriel Milano has filled in at third base since Cuvet’s absence. The former Miami Doral Academy standout is hitting .300 on the season with three home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored in 50 at-bats entering Saturday. He has hits in seven of his 10 games since moving into the starting lineup.
“He’s swinging the bat great,” Arteaga said. “I mean, he’s got some base hits. He’s definitely not shying away from anything, and he’s got some good at-bats, even when makes out good at bats, he’s not overmatched. I’m not saying we don’t miss Cuvet, but he’s done a great job stepping in there, and he’s holding his own.”
Added second baseman Jake Ogden: “Gabo’s an awesome kid. He works really hard, so when the opportunity is presented, it’s just next man up, and he’s done phenomenal.”
Meanwhile, Hurricanes catcher Alex Sosa has been dealing with a shoulder injury. He had exclusively been Miami’s designated hitter the past two weeks prior to having to start at first base on Saturday after Brylan West sustained a swollen ankle on Friday night.
Freshman Alonzo Alvarez has been Miami’s starting catcher in the interim. Unlike Milano, Alvarez has received steadier playing time this season before this, starting 30 of Miami’s first 44 games albeit primarily as a designated hitter and has been a steady bat for Miami. He is hitting 313 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 23 RBI and 32 runs scored.
And while Sosa hasn’t been behind the plate, Miami at least hasn’t lost his offensive production. Sosa is hitting .342 on the season with a team-leading 15 home runs to go along with 14 doubles, 62 RBI and 55 runs scored. He has hits in five of the past six games, including four home runs, over the past two weeks. He had two home runs in the series finale against Louisville on Saturday.
Lastly, West’s swollen ankle moving Sosa to first base opened up the designated hitter spot in the Louisville finale for Dylan Dubovik, who had received steady playing time early in the year when senior Max Galvin was sideline but has since been relegated to the bench. The former Plantation American Heritage standout blasted a two-run home run — one of four Hurricanes home runs on Saturday against the Cardinals.
Dubovik on the season is hitting .317 with seven home runs, 27 RBI and 22 runs scored in 34 games (26 starts).
“Every team, nobody feels great right now,” Arteaga said. “Everyone’s injured and nicked up. ... We’re definitely not saving anybody. If they’re good to go, they’re playing.”
Nick Robert returns
Miami’s bullpen received a boost recently with the return of Nick Robert, who was in the team’s starting rotation last season before sustaining a season-ending elbow injury last April that kept him shelved for more than a year.
He returned to the mound on May 1 during Miami’s series at NC State and threw a shutout inning of relief. He made his home season debut on Thursday, pitching 1 1/3 innings in the Hurricanes’ 13-8 series-opening win over Louisville.
His fastball velocity is back to its usual spot, sitting comfortably at 95 mph and touching 96 mph.
Arteaga said Robert is generally good to pitch about two innings per series at this point.
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