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Michael Robertson back in the Gators lineup Wednesday

Untitled designby: Nick de la Torre03/01/23delatorre
florida-gators-outfielder-michael-robertson
Photo courtesy of UAA Communications

JACKSONVILLE — The Florida Gators have played three consecutive games without their leadoff man and starting center fielder. They won’t make it four. Michael Roberston is expected to start for Florida on Wednesday night when they return home.

“I don’t know if he’ll play the whole day or the whole game. We might be in a situation where we just play him a couple of at-bats and kind of get him out,” Kevin O’Sullivan told Gators Online. “Then see how it feels, if it feels good we can leave him in. We just need him ready for the weekend.” 

The outfielder has missed the last three games after colliding with the center field wall chasing a fly ball. Freshman Cade Kurland has made Robertson’s absence easier.

Kurland leads the team in batting at .500 (15-30). He has four home runs, three doubles, and 14 RBI in eight games played. That included his first career grand slam, an opposite-field home run to extend the Gators’ lead on Tuesday night.

“He comes out the first scrimmage of the fall and takes Waldrep down the line for a bomb,” Jac Caglianone said of Kurland on Sunday. “We’re all like, ‘Wait a minute.’ When you see a fastball get put down and you’re facing him, you just pray he doesn’t barrel it. That kid’s just a barrel-finder.”

Kurland moved from the bottom half of the order into the leadoff spot on Saturday. He was 4-9 (.444) in his two games as the leadoff man. That included a double, a home run, and three RBI.

With Robertson back in the fold, O’Sullivan will have a tough decision to make. Do you put him back atop the lineup and demote Kurland, or is that a move that you simply cannot make? Kurland doesn’t have a hit to start a game but has is 6-15 in the leadoff spot the last three games. Either way, both have proven they need to be in the lineup, no matter where they’re hitting in it.

Up next

The Gators return home Wednesday to host JU at 6:00 pm. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

The highly anticipated series with the No. 22 Miami Hurricanes will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. The series continues on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Both of those games will be streamed on SEC Network+. The Sunday finale will begin at noon and will be on linear television with SEC Network broadcasting the game live.

The Hurricanes fell to Florida Atlantic University 6-5 on Tuesday night.

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