Florida Gators
Arkansas
Gators starting pitcher Brian Johnson continues to recover from concussion
Thursday, June 2, 2011 | Baseball, Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
Gators pitcher Brian Johnson continues to recover from the concussion he suffered Saturday at the SEC Tournament when he was hit in the head by a throw from catcher Mike Zunino.
Johnson is likely unavailable in the Gainesville Regional until Sunday at the earliest according to head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.
“He's either going to be full-go or no-go,'' O'Sullivan said of the cautious approach with Johnson. “This is totally up to the medical staff. You guys know how sensitive concussions are nowadays.
“He hasn't been able to do anything up to this point. We all want him back, but there is a process we've got to follow here. It's an unfortunate situation. We all feel terrible about it. I know he wants to play.''
Johnson was knocked out temporarily when Zunino's throw toward second base hit him in the back of the head. He was taken to a local hospital in Hoover, Ala., for a battery of tests and later returned to the team hotel.
Gators trainer John Barrett updated Johnson's condition Thursday afternoon after examining the sophomore left-hander from Cocoa Beach. There is no timetable on his return.
“Brian has made good progress and continues to show signs of improvement with decreased post-concussive symptoms daily,'' Barrett said in a statement through the UF communications office. “He still has a headache and some sensitivity to light and noise. Until he is symptom-free we continue to rest him and perform our daily testing and monitoring per our concussion protocol.''
O'Sullivan said freshman Karsten Whitson (7-0, 2.53 ERA) will start Friday's NCAA Tournament opener against Manhattan and that Hudson Randall (9-3, 2.25) would start Saturday.
Johnson's absence had a double impact on the Gators. He is 8-3 with a 3.66 ERA on the mound and batted .312 with five home runs and 27 RBIs as the team's primary designated hitter.
