It’s been a long last couple of years for Gunner Leger. After missing the entire 2018 season due to injury, the senior was expected to return to form in 2019. However, that hasn’t been the case for him as he hasn’t been able to reach a threshold to where he could stay in that Friday night starter role for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns.
After Tuesday’s win over Northwestern State, head coach Tony Robichaux mentioned that Leger wouldn’t be starting against App State on Friday due to some more inflammation in his throwing arm. This was also why he missed out on the second series of the season against Sam Houston State. According to associate head coach Anthony Babineaux, they’re not sure if he’ll be ready to go at all when they head over to Alabama for a series against the Troy Trojans.
“I have no idea if Gunner is back on track for Friday.” Babineaux said to the media on Monday, “I don’t think any of us have any idea if he is back on track or not. Before the season started our hope was that he was going to be able to be a consistent arm for us that could go out there every Friday night and that hasn’t been the case. It’s been every other weekend and right now we’re not sure.”
One of the big reasons why they didn’t have an idea about him is because they were unable to meet as a coaching staff about this due to head coach Tony Robichaux being with his father on Monday while he was undergoing heart surgery. That being said, Babineaux mentioned that Leger’s role going forward for the Cajuns could instead be in the bullpen because of how short his outings have been.
With Leger in the bullpen, that could be a good thing for the Cajuns because the amount of work he has put in this season is typically what you would expect from a “bridge guy” and that will loom large on the coaching staff’s decision in the near future. What could make it an easier decision is that Babineaux said that “whether he’s in the ballgame in the top or bottom of the first or top or bottom of the ninth, I think it’s no different for him because of his mentality and work ethic.”
That work ethic may also be why the 2017 Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year is the person on this team that feels the worst about it.
“There’s no one more than him that wants to be out there helping his teammates out on that field.” Babineaux mentioned, “It is really tough because for three years we’ve seen how much work Gunner has put into preparing himself every week to compete at a high level. We still him working, his work ethic is no different. He’s doing everything he can to prepare himself, but there are limitations there that are preventing him from getting out on the field. It’s been tough to watch because he’s been so consistent. Being out there every Friday and knowing what you’re going to get every single time he goes out.”
It’s been an extremely tough season for the team with several players out with an injury and this could be one that really determines how the rest of the season could go for the Cajuns without their Friday night starter in that role.
-Clint Domingue