Look: Arkansas pitcher Hunter Hollan has successful surgery for knee injury

Hollan is expected to be selected in next month’s MLB Draft, but could return for another season with Arkansas.

Arkansas left-handed pitcher Hunter Hollan had a successful surgery for a knee injury Friday.

The surgery was considered minor and was to repair a nerve entrapment, per a report by HawgSports. It isn’t expected to be a long-term issue and Hollan’s recovery time should be between three and five weeks.

Hollan went 8-2 with a 4.13 earned-run average with 74 strikeouts and 29 walks in 2023 with the Razorbacks. It was his first season at Arkansas after transferring in from San Jacinto College. It may have also been his only one.

The lefty is the No. 83 prospect for this summer’s MLB Draft, per MLB Pipeline. Hollan said earlier in the week, however, he had not yet made a decision about whether to turn pro or return to Fayetteville.

The MLB Draft differs from the NBA and NFL one in that a player can choose to return to schools, assuming eligibility remains, even after he is selected. Most of the time, it comes down to money and slotting, where the player is taken in the draft.

Hollan played most of the 2023 season through numbness in his foot as the injury began to bother him during Arkansas’ opening weekend in the College Baseball Showdown, the report stated. Hollan told reporters he had a nerve issue during Arkansas’ weekend series win against Missisippi State.

“I physically couldn’t use it,” he said then. “Last week at A&M, it got to the point to where I was going to end up getting hurt just having to throw all arm. It was something that we needed to get taken care of and just stay off it as much as possible.”

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