Vanderbilt baseball injuries: Updating status of pitchers Ethan McElvain, Sawyer Hawks

Vanderbilt baseball saw the return of one pitcher but was down two others in a 5-4 win over UT Martin on Tuesday.

Devin Futrell pitched for the first time since March 24 and pitched one inning, allowing one run. Futrell, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, was scheduled to go only one inning anyway in his return and could be available this weekend as the Commodores (30-11) take on Mississippi State.

After leaving Saturday's game against Florida with a back injury, Ethan McElvain was not available and didn't throw Tuesday. Coach Tim Corbin said he did not know what McElvain's status would be going forward.

Futrell, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2023, is 2-1 with a 5.62 ERA this season in seven starts. McElvain, who starred at Nolensville High School and was the Commodores' top pitching recruit in the 2023 class, is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA.

A few other players have been banged-up as well. Outfielder Jacob Humphrey has been dealing with an elbow injury that kept him out for two weeks at the beginning of April. He returned April 16 but has appeared exclusively as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.

Right-hander Sawyer Hawks, a transfer from Air Force who has not appeared in a game since March 12 while dealing with an arm injury, is scheduled to begin throwing next week, Corbin said. It is unclear if Hawks will be able to return this season. He has made five relief appearances in 2024 with a 10.50 ERA.

Left-hander JD Thompson, who is 3-0 with a 2.28 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) this season, will miss the series against Mississippi State while serving a four-game suspension for use of a foreign substance. Thompson was ejected from Saturday's series finale against Florida.

The Commodores beat the Skyhawks on a Davis Diaz walk-off home run with two outs in the ninth inning.

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Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.