The streaking Arizona baseball team is about to face its first real adversity of the season.
Junior outfielder Brendan Summerhill, the Wildcats’ best player and top MLB prospect, is expected to miss three to four weeks because of a hand injury suffered Sunday at West Virginia.
Summerhill exited the game in the sixth inning after going 0 for 2 with a walk. Summerhill’s last at-bat, in the top of the fifth, was a soft groundout to the pitcher.
Arizona right fielder Brendan Summerhill makes a running catch on a fly ball from Cincinnati’s Jack Natili in the third inning of their Big 12 game on March 14, at Hi Corbett Field.
Summerhill leads the 23rd-ranked Wildcats in batting average (.409), hits (38), triples (six), total bases (61), walks draw (16), on-base percentage (.500) and slugging percentage (.656). He has started in right field and batted leadoff in all 23 of Arizona’s games.
Several outlets have projected Summerhill as a first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft. The Chicago product was an All-Pac-12 performer last year and made several preseason All-American teams entering 2025.
Arizona could get left fielder Easton Breyfogle (quadriceps) back this week, which starts with a Wednesday-night game vs. Seattle. If Breyfogle is able to return, TJ Adams likely would take Summerhill’s spot in right.
If the four-week timeline holds, Summerhill could be back for Arizona’s April 25-27 series at Texas Tech. The regular season concludes May 17 at Houston.
