Tennessee baseball shortstop Ariel Antigua to miss multiple weeks with hand injury

Tennessee baseball shortstop Ariel Antigua will not be available when the Vols open the season due to injury, a UT spokesperson told Knox News.

The highly regarded freshman is dealing with a hand injury that likely will sideline him for multiple weeks. The Vols open the season Feb. 16-18 in the Shriners Children's Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Coach Tony Vitello labeled Antigua as a "leading candidate" among the possibilities at shortstop in late January "based off what teammates and other coaches" said.

Shortstop Alex Perry, a junior college addition, is battling a hamstring injury as well.

Who will start at shortstop for Tennessee baseball?

Antigua, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, was one of the primary options at shortstop along with junior Christian Moore. Moore, a preseason third-team All-American, started at second base last season for the Vols and he could play second again. Moore hit .304 with 17 homers and 50 RBI as a sophomore.

Dean Curley, a 6-foot-3 freshman, also is a strong candidate at shortstop. He is a highly touted signee out of California, was rated No. 129 nationally by Perfect Game.

"It’s great to have options," Vitello said on Jan. 24. "I don’t think anyone has really separated themselves. The one thing we got out in the fall was (Moore) established that he can play that position."

Along with Curley and Moore, Tennessee also has junior college additions Bradke Lohry and Perry as shortstop options. Lohry also can play second base.

"I’m not necessarily worried about who the guy is overall," Vitello said. "Especially come SEC play because we’ll find that out with our starting rotation. It’s the same as shortstop."

What Tony Vitello has said about Ariel Antigua

Antigua signed with UT as the No. 137 prospect in the nation out of Lake Worth, Florida. He impressed with his bat during fall baseball while working into the shortstop mix.

Vitello lauded Antigua's work ethic, saying the freshman approaches his business like a pro but also has a lot of improvement to make. Vitello pointed at the need for consistency at the plate and learning how to play infield well as focal points.

"He can make or even hit to the point where it's a 'SportsCenter'-type effort," Vitello said in November. "But what we need out of him is the consistency day in and day out."

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Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.