Tennessee baseball's Blaine Brown underwent surgery on his left elbow to repair an injury suffered in the Cape Cod League and will miss fall ball, a UT spokesperson confirmed to Knox News on Aug. 18.
Brown, a junior two-way player who mostly played left field last season, is expected to return in time for the 2027 season but will not be able to pitch. He will be able to hit, but whether he will play in the field is to be determined. He had internal brace surgery, which typically requires between six and nine months for a full recovery.
Brown appeared in 15 games for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. He started on the mound for Brewster's playoff game on Aug. 4 but had to exit with athletic trainers after just 1.1 innings.
Brown transferred to Tennessee from Rice last offseason and started all but one game for the Vols. He was a highly acclaimed transfer, having been a first-team all-conference selection at Rice the season before and landing on Baseball America's preseason All-American team for 2026.
It was ultimately an up-and-down season for Brown at the plate, though. He flashed his power with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and 42 RBIs, but hit .240 batting average and had a .308 on-base percentage. He hit .233 in conference play and was ultimately benched for Tennessee's final game of the season in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Usually playing left field and sometimes designated hitter, Brown pitched sparingly last season. He started four games but totaled just three innings with an ERA of 3.00. His last pitching appearance was on April 14 against UNC Asheville.
As the only starting outfielder set to return for the 2027 season, Brown was poised to step back into a starting role and perhaps have another chance to prove himself on the mound. Wright State transfer Andrew Duncan is likely to start in center field, but if Brown is unable to play the field both corner outfield spots would be open.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Blaine Brown injury update, Tennessee baseball player out for fall after surgery