Unpacking Vanderbilt's pitching options for Mississippi State series after suspension, injuries

Vanderbilt baseball found itself in a sticky situation against Florida.

JD Thompson, the starting pitcher for the third game of the series, was ejected for use of a foreign substance. By rule, that ejection comes with a four-game suspension that will take Thompson out of this weekend's series against Mississippi State.

To replace Thompson, the Commodores (30-11, 10-8 SEC) originally turned to freshman left-hander Ethan McElvain, but McElvain injured his back while warming up and had to leave the game without throwing an official pitch. McElvain didn't throw Tuesday, according to coach Tim Corbin, and his status is in doubt for the weekend.

If Vanderbilt has to go without those two pitchers for the three-game series beginning Friday at Hawkins Field, the pitching staff will take a significant hit. The Commodores would have just 12 arms available for the series, assuming that they do not turn to anyone who has not yet pitched this season.

That will be a tough task against Mississippi State (27-14, 10-8), which has been one of the top run prevention teams in the SEC.

A few other pitchers are also out with long-term injuries. Andrew Dutkanych IV is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and Sawyer Hawks is set to resume throwing next week.

Here's how things could shake out with Vanderbilt's pitching this weekend:

Can Devin Futrell provide a boost?

Devin Futrell, originally the third starter, missed just under a month with a shoulder injury. He returned Tuesday to pitch one inning in a win over UT-Martin. The one-inning stint was planned, Corbin said.

Futrell likely won't be able to provide bulk innings, but he could be available for an inning or two. Thompson, who earlier in the season missed three weeks with an injury, had a one-inning start against Middle Tennessee and then pitched out of the bullpen against Texas A&M.

Corbin wouldn't commit to Futrell being available this weekend, but he also wouldn't rule it out.

"We'll see how he bounces back from this and see what his week looks like and then we'll make a decision," Corbin said. "But last week was pretty uplifting, really. His health has been pretty good."

Who will start game 3?

Vanderbilt has not yet indicated who it will pitch in the third game of the series. The conference does not release probables until Thursday afternoon.

Thompson isn't an option. Futrell, even if he is available, probably can't provide a lengthy start. McElvain doesn't seem likely either.

The Commodores could try to go back to Carter, but the way he pitched in the bullpen against Florida combined with his typical struggles to get through the order more than once, could make that a hard sell. Vanderbilt doesn't have a lot of options, though.

Ryan Ginther, a reliable bullpen veteran, has started one game in his career. He was the choice when the Commodores faced a similar situation last season, with 12 available pitchers for a series against Arkansas and two usual weekend starters out. Another veteran, Sam Hliboki, had three postseason starts in 2023. Hliboki pitched well against UT-Martin, but he threw 41 pitches and has a 13.50 ERA in SEC play this season.

Could Vanderbilt start a true freshman? It's possible. Brennan Seiber made one midweek start this season and can stretch over multiple innings, though he has also struggled in SEC play. Miller Green has not started a game but has thrown as many as 53 pitches in an outing this season.

None of these options would be likely to provide more than 3-4 innings, but some combination of them could piece together enough for the third game.

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Why Carter Holton, Bryce Cunningham will be key

Carter Holton has put up strong production in the conference season, with a 3.44 ERA and 51 strikeouts to 10 walks in 36⅔ innings in SEC play. He has put up quality starts in five of his six SEC outings.

Though Bryce Cunningham has a 6.03 ERA in the conference, there has been a significant difference between his home and road performances. His three SEC starts at Hawkins Field have consisted of 18 innings and six runs allowed.

Holton and Cunningham will need to perform like they have been for the Commodores to have success against Mississippi State. Most of all, they will need to give Vanderbilt innings so that the team has as many options available for the third game as possible.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt baseball's pitching options against Mississippi State