On Thursday, March 5, Duke Blue Devils head baseball coach Corey Muscara stated that sophomore Cider Canon will be out for at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury.
Canon transferred into Duke for 2026 after playing at Davidson College. He was putting together a good season for the Blue Devils with a .431 batting average, a .543 on-base percentage, six home runs, and 21 RBIs.
Canon has been Duke’s primary catcher so far this season.
Muscara talked about Canon’s injury further in a press release from Duke Athletics.
“We’re extremely disappointed for Cider [Canon],” Muscara said. “I know that myself, the rest of our coaches, and our training staff will be supporting him every step of the way with his recovery. I’m confident in his ability to continue to impact our team’s culture and approach, even from off the field, during this process.”
Where can Duke look for the catcher position to replace Canon?
With their primary catcher sidelined for at least two months, the Blue Devils will need another player to step into the catcher’s spot.
Samford transfer Matthew Strand has shown some good play this season. In 24 at-bats, he has a .292 batting average with four doubles. He has also stolen five bases.
Strand seems like a likely candidate to take over the position.
Duke has other players who can play catcher in Canon’s place, such as Nolan Johnson and Anthony Runfola.
Up next for Duke
The Duke Blue Devils have a 12-3 overall record this season. Their next game is on Friday, March 6, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Jack Coombs Field in Durham, N.C.
The first pitch for the game is at 5 p.m. EST.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Duke’s Cider Canon (17) runs the bases during an NCAA baseball game on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
