Report: WVU Star JJ Wetherholt to Return to Lineup After Hamstring Injury

After teasing WVU baseball fans on social media in recent weeks, the much anticipated return of JJ Wetherholt is finally nearing. D1 Baseball Managing Editor Kendall Rogers tweeted on Thursday that Wetherholt is expected to return to action next weekend when the Mountaineers face the Kansas Jayhawks.

Wetherholt, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and projected top MLB Draft pick, hasn’t played since leaving a game on Feb. 19 at Stetson.

WVU head coach Randy Mazey has since continuously listed Wetherholt as day-to-day with a hamstring injury. Wetherholt also dealt with a hamstring injury while playing for USA Baseball over the summer.

Prior to his injury, Wetherholt was hitting .308 with a .438 OBP and three stolen bases. He has five runs scored, but has yet to register any runs batted in through four games on the season.

Proving the Doubters Wrong

Wetherholt talked with WV Sports Now before the season got underway, detailing his mindset going into his final college season.

“Those guys didn’t believe in me until they had no choice but to believe in me, right? So you can’t let them kinda dictate how you feel,” said Wetherholt about being placed on numerous preseason watch lists and the massive expectations on his shoulders for 2024. “It doesn’t matter if they’re putting me number one here and there and there and there. If I don’t have a good year, I’m not going to be on those lists anymore.”

JJ Wetherholt Looking to Build on 2023, Details Managing the Hype

The Mars, Pa. native also explained why he decided to stay at WVU despite the rumors of other programs trying to lure him away.

“I came here to play baseball and to give myself the opportunity to play close to home with people who took a chance on me,” Wetherholt said. “I’m good to people who have been good to me, and the coaching staff and people here have been nothing but amazing to me, and they gave me exactly what I wanted, so there was no reason to leave.”

The Mountaineers currently sit at 15-10 (4-2, Big 12) on the season and sit tied for third in the Big 12 after a big series win at Oklahoma. They’ll host the Oklahoma State Cowboys this weekend before heading to Manhattan to face the Jayhawks.