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Auburn baseball: Will Kendall set to return from elbow injury, start Tuesday vs. Kennesaw State

In a bit of a shock, pitcher Will Kendall will make his season debut against Kennesaw State.

Auburn starting pitcher Will Kendall is apparently ready to return from Tommy John surgery.
Auburn starting pitcher Will Kendall is apparently ready to return from Tommy John surgery.
Todd Van Emst photo

The Auburn pitching staff may be on the verge of receiving a huge boost, as Will Kendall is scheduled to make his first start of the season Tuesday at Kennesaw State.

Before suffering a season-ending elbow injury last year on April 7 against Alabama, Kendall had been Auburn's best pitcher. The then-sophomore lefty was 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA through six starts (nine total appearances). He had a 19-8 strikeout-walk ratio, and opposing batters were hitting just .228 against him in 38 1/3 innings.

Kendall's surprise return is fairly stunning, as he had Tommy John surgery in the middle of April last year. Recovery from the procedure typically takes a year, so clearly, Kendall is getting back on the mound ahead of schedule. If he's truly ready to return and can shake the rust off quickly, Auburn's pitching staff all of a sudden has three solid starters for weekend SEC series. His return could make a huge difference in the Tigers' season.

However, if he's coming back too quickly, it will likely mean bad news for his future at Auburn and beyond. Re-injuring a surgically repaired elbow when it's not yet fully healthy could have severe long-term effects. Whether or not Kendall is coming back too soon, we'll just have to wait and see.