Oregon State ace Dax Whitney is out for the remainder of the 2026 college baseball season, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
Whitney is undergoing Tommy John surgery. The concern for this injury during his most recent start against Hawaii on April 24.
In that start, Whitney struck out seven in 6 ⅔ innings. He left the mound in that game due to arm tightness.
Whitney and his 2026 season, 2027 MLB Draft Stock
This season, Whitney has a 2.00 ERA over 63 innings. Over that same stretch, he has 104 strikeouts and allowed an opposing batting average of .185.
Whitney was coming off a 2025 freshman season where he was a third-team All-American and a freshman All-American.
He played a major role in leading the Oregon State Beavers to the 2025 College World Series in Omaha.
Whitney is one of the biggest collegiate prospects for the 2027 MLB Draft. According to ESPN’s report, he is expected to recover from his Tommy John surgery well ahead of July 2027.
Up next for Oregon State, a shake-up in the starting rotation
The Oregon State Beavers will have to finish out the 2026 college baseball season without their top-notch ace and best player.
They have a 34-10 overall record this season.
Oregon State’s next game is on Friday, May 1, against the Cal State Northridge Matadors. The game is at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., and the first pitch is at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Whitney will be replaced in the starting rotation by Ethan Kleinschmit, who is moving up a spot. The southpaw, who has normally started in the second spot in the Oregon State starting rotation, has a 3.49 ERA in 56 ⅔ innings of work this season.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Oregon State pitcher Dax Whitney (8) throws during an NCAA baseball game against Xavier on Friday, March 6, 2026, in Corvallis, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
