Gamecocks starter expected out for extended timeframe

South Carolina could be without one of their primary starters for the foreseeable future after Friday night’s game against Michigan State.

Outfielder TJ Hopkins left the game at the beginning of the third inning with a right leg injury and head coach Chad Holbrook said the sophomore could be out “for a while.”

"I don’t know how long. He’s at the hospital right now getting an MRI. He’s got a quad issue and it flared up on him in a big time way today,” Holbrook said after the Gamecocks' 3-1 win. “I don’t know if the cold weather contributed to it or not. I’m keeping my fingers crossed because we need him in there obviously.”

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Hopkins has been battling a quad and hip flexor issue all season and missed some time after the Gamecocks’ season-opening series against UNC Greensboro due to the injury.

He has played in all 15 of the Gamecocks’ (10-5) games, starting 14 of them in the outfield. He’s played both right and center fields this season and is hitting .300 with three doubles and seven RBIs. He also leads the team with two triples.

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Danny Blair replaced him in centerfield to start the third inning and went 0-for-3. Blair, Alex Destino, Carlos Cortes and Jacob Olson have all seen time in the outfield this season alongside Hopkins.

Holbrook said Hopkins will most likely miss the remainder of the weekend and his status for the Gamecocks’ opening SEC series next weekend at Tennessee is in doubt. Junior closer Tyler Johnson is also out indefinitely with arm soreness.

“I don’t see (Hopkins) playing the rest of the weekend and I hope like crazy we can get him back for next weekend,” Holbrook said, “but I’m not so sure at this point.”