Jared Janczak out a “couple of weeks”

The Horned Frogs will be without their ace for at least the next two weeks, as sophomore Jared Janczak has been ruled out due to “shoulder soreness”, as announced Friday by Jim Schlossnagle.

The second year righty hs been the best hurler for the Frogs this season, compiling a 6-0 record and 2.25 ERA in nine starts so far this year. Janczak has struck out 63 batters this season against only 16 walks, allowing just 15 earned runs. He has thrown two near no-hitters and has an complete game shutout on his resume in 2016.

TCU is coming off a difficult weekend in Morgantown against WVU, where they dropped two of three, including Janczak’s Friday night start. They face a gauntlet down the stretch, starting with the Baylor series at home, which begins this evening. Nick Lodolo will slide into the Friday night role begining this eveing, with Mitchell Traver - fresh off the DL himself - taking over Saturdays. Brian Howard is expected to remain in his usual Sunday spot. The depth of the Horned Frogs’ pitching staff will be tested with this news; some combination of sophomore Dalton Horton and freshmen Charles King and Jake Eissler will likely be called upon to play larger roles. Sophomore Sean Wymer has proven himself too valuable out of the pen to be a candidate for Tuesday night starts, but his innings load could increase as well.

Janczak will be put through a battery of tests to determine the extent of his issues/injuries, but in the meantime, the Frogs seem cautiously optimistic about his return. TCU has four Big 12 series remaining - Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, abd Oklahoma - before the postseason. The series next weekend in Lubbock against the Red Raiders could go a long way in determining the regular season champion. But the big picture for this team isn’t the Big 12 title, it’s Omaha, and Schloss and Saarloos won’t bring him back unless they’re confident he’s fully healthy.

Get well soon, JJ. We need you.