Less than 24 hours ago, senior pitcher Jared Spencer left the Longhorns' baseball game against the Auburn Tigers in the middle of the third quarter, after only facing a handful of batters. Immediately, Texas fans grew concerned that something was seriously wrong with their veteran pitcher.
However, following the Horns' 3-2 win over the Tigers, head coach Jim Schlossnagle shared an update that most likely calmed many of those fears.
Damn. Jared Spencer just left the Auburn-Texas game in the third inning with some sort of injury. He went into the dugout and straight to the locker room. Hopefully, he is OK. #Horns
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) April 18, 2025
“I think [Jared Spencer] will be fine," Schlossnagle said after saying that Spencer was experiencing some soreness. "[He] might need a little break.”
So far this season, Spencer has pitched in 10 games, racking up 52.1 innings and allowing a minimal 19 runs. Before leaving the game against Auburn, Spencer had only pitched 2.2 innings and had already allowed two hits, which resulted in two runs, one of them being a home run.
Who will replace Jared Spencer in the rotation?
One thing that the Texas Longhorns do not lack is a bullpen filled with elite pitchers. Both Max Grubbs and Luke Harrison have gone undefeated so far this year, combining for an 8-0 overall record. Ruger Riojas, one of Schlossnage's go-to guys, has earned a masterful 7-1 record while allowing just 3.35 runs per appearance.
Grubbs and Harrison have both allowed fewer than two runs per appearance, earning a 1.50 ERA and 1.35 ERA, respectively.
With the one-run win over the Tigers, Texas improved to 31-5 overall and has two more games against No. 8 Auburn remaining. The Longhorns and the Tigers will play at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, April 18, as well as at noon CT on Saturday, April 19.
Following the three-game series against Auburn, Texas will have just four in-conference series remaining ahead of the Horns' first-ever appearance in the SEC Tournament.