LSU left-handed pitcher Javen Coleman is getting closer to pitching for the Tigers.
Coleman made two appearances in the 2022 season, but he tore his ulnar collateral ligament in the Feb. 23 appearance against Louisiana Tech and underwent Tommy John surgery last March.
“I do think Javen Coleman will pitch this year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “I don’t know when – we have two benchmarks that we have to get him through. But credit to him, he’s recovered from Tommy John better than any pitcher I’ve ever seen. There’s some ups and downs and ebbs and flows, but he’s been real disciplined about what he’s doing.”
Coleman traveled with the team for rehabilitation purposes, he was not available to participate in the game against South Carolina.
“I was watching him play catch on Saturday, the day we got rained out, and it looked normal,” Johnson said. “You wouldn’t know that he was coming off of injury.”
Johnson revealed that Coleman had started throwing bullpen sessions at practice on March 5. On March 27, he added that Coleman’s velocity was picking up and that he was spinning breaking balls.
LSU currently has two active left-handed pitchers: Riley Cooper and Griffin Herring. Nate Ackenhausen has struggled with a hamstring injury, appearing once in the past three weeks, facing two batters against Tennessee on March 30. Johnson said over the weekend that he hopes Ackenhausen can return this week.
“He’s one of our best pitchers and he’s literally thrown six times,” Johnson said. “We gotta get him back like that and that’s held us up a little bit. He’s only thrown in two SEC games and against four of the best teams in the country.”
In addition, the Tigers’ bullpen is missing right-handers Chase Shores and Garrett Edwards – both of which have injuries being evaluated this week. Shores missed all of last week, while Edwards was hurt in Friday’s contest against South Carolina.
He had no update on either pitcher on Monday.
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