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Kentucky SS Tyler Bell (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kentucky sophomore shortstop Tyler Bell is “out indefinitely” after injuring his left shoulder on Opening Day, a team spokesperson told Baseball America.
Ranked 14th in Baseball America’s Top 200 rankings for the 2026 draft, Bell’s injury was evaluated on Friday night but the team will wait until it returns to Lexington before making further determinations about his timetable for return.
Bell injured his shoulder while attempting to make a diving play in the seventh inning of a 13-2 win over UNC Greensboro. His arm got stuck on the playing surface, according to head coach Nick Mingione.
Bell earned Freshman All-America honors in 2025 after turning down second-round money from the Rays in 2024 to attend school.
The everyday shortstop for Kentucky, Bell hit .296/.385/.522 with 10 home runs and 17 doubles and opened his career with a 27-game on-base streak. He reached base safely in 54 of his first 56 career games. It came as little surprise, then, that his return to Kentucky for his draft-eligible sophomore season was viewed as the most critical offseason roster checkpoint for the Wildcats.
Kentucky has several options to turn to in Bell’s absence, including Indiana transfer Tyler Cerny, infielder Hudson Brown and second baseman Luke Lawrence, though Lawrence was also injured in Friday’s game albeit less seriously.
Unranked to start the season, Kentucky easily could have justified a Top 25 spot, but with the SEC placing 11 teams in the preseason poll, the Wildcats ultimately became another casualty of a brutally crowded cut line.
The Wildcats are set to close out their opening weekend series at UNC Greensboro with a double-header on Saturday before returning to Lexington for their home opener against Morehead State on Tuesday.