KU’s Wes Benjamin Out of Weekend Rotation

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior starting pitcher Wes Benjamin will miss his regularly-scheduled start Friday at Kansas State due to an injury to his left elbow, KU baseball head coach Ritch Price announced Friday.

Benjamin exited last Friday night’s contest against Oklahoma in the third inning with tightness in his left elbow after a 60-pitch effort. As a precautionary measure, an MRI was taken on Benjamin’s elbow and reviewed by the Kansas Athletics medical staff, the coaching staff and his family. Following a review of the results, the parties involved felt it was necessary to seek a second opinion, as is common practice with sports injuries.

“After meeting with our medical staff and the Benjamin family to review the MRI, we feel it is in his best interest to seek a second opinion,” Price said. “We want to make sure that he is 100-percent healthy and ready to go before he resumes his normal throwing routines.”

Benjamin started all seven contests in which he’s appeared this season, averaging six and one-third innings per start for a perfect 4-0 record.

In 42 and two-thirds innings pitched this season, the lefty recorded 31 strikeouts, including a season-high eight against Houston Baptist (Feb. 28). Against perennial power Stanford (March 7), he allowed just four hits in seven innings, striking out five Cardinal in the process.

However, his best performance came against then-No. 10 Texas (March 14) to open Big 12 play. Benjamin held the Longhorns to two runs, six hits and two walks in eight and two-thirds innings, striking out four in the 3-2 Kansas win.

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