University of Arkansas senior Cullen Smith found himself starting at first base on Thursday night against Vanderbilt for the first time since the opening weekend.
Smith moved from third base to first in place of Brady Slavens, who injured his right ankle in the Razorbacks’ 11-2 win over Georgia on Wednesday.
Slavens has a lateral ankle sprain and will need one to three weeks to recover, according to an Arkansas spokesman.
That time frame doesn’t rule out Slavens from playing in an NCAA regional next weekend, but puts his status in question.
Slavens, a junior, has played in 52 games with 51 starts and is batting .