FAYETTEVILLE — When Arkansas junior infielder Jared Gates was injured six days before the start of the season, Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn said the team had lost its hottest hitter.
Gates broke the hamate bone in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch during a February scrimmage, which required surgery and several weeks of rehabilitation. He was not able to grip a bat for about three weeks.
He made his debut at third base for the Razorbacks last Wednesday against New Orleans and also started last Friday at Missouri, but went 0-for-6 in those games and didn't see any playing time in the final two games last weekend.
Arkansas hitting coach Tony Vitello said the coaching staff might have been "overly ambitious" to expect Gates back so quick, but wanted him in the lineup last Friday because they thought he might match-up well against Missouri right-hander Tanner Houck, a projected first-round selection in this year's MLB Draft.
"He's still getting comfortable and getting rid of some soreness when he fouls the ball of or doesn't hit it cleanly," Vitello said of Gates, a junior college transfer from Iowa Western College who grew up in Wichita, Kan.
In high school, Gates once hit .612 during a season to earn state player of the year honors. He hit .400 and .434 during his two years prior coming to Arkansas, helping Iowa Western to the JUCO World Series both seasons.
"He might be our best guy in May or June when we need him most, but right now he's a guy who needs to gradually work his way back to who he was at the start of the fall and the spring," Vitello said.
Arkansas coaches went out of their way to get Gates several live at-bats during practice this week, including eight during a scrimmage Tuesday.
"He’s going to be there, it’s just a matter of if it’s going to be this weekend or next week," Van Horn said. "And it might be next week against Grand Canyon where he gets his at-bats."
Gates, who hits from the left side, is batting well with his top hand but struggling with the bottom one - the one he broke and couldn't use to swing until some time in the past two weeks.
"He has not looked comfortable since he's been back," Vitello said. "He's running at the ball and almost has a look of fear in his eye, which is not who he is.
"At this point he needs a little more time. Jared is a hitter. Once he's healthy and back in a routine, he's going to be a hitter."
Arkansas coaches aren't concerned about Gates' first-week production because so many others are hitting well on the team. The Razorbacks have the third-highest batting average (.281) of SEC teams during conference play and lead the league with 36 home runs.
"We've got 16 pretty good position players we travel with, so any day you may or may not be in the lineup," Vitello said. "That's turning into a positive. It's keeping everyone on their toes and motivated. I don't see them pouting when they're not in the lineup."