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Report: Alabama baseball star Justin Lebron exits Friday night game after 'nasty' collision

Byington mugby: Alex Byington05/09/26_AlexByington

Alabama star shortstop Justin Lebron was forced to leave Friday night’s SEC win over South Carolina after what head coach Rob Vaughn reportedly described as a “nasty” collision at first base, according to The Tuscaloosa News. Lebron left Friday’s 8-3 road win in the seventh inning after Gamecocks first baseman Will Craddock reportedly “clotheslined” him while trying to make a tag, per the T-News.

“Credit ‘Bron man, he’s busting his tail down the line like he always does,” Vaughn said told Crimson Tide Sports Network postgame, via the T-News.

Lebron rejoined the Crimson Tide in the ninth inning and “felt fine,” Vaughn told reporters after the game, per the T-News. Following the collision at first base, Lebron managed to recover enough to advance to third base in the inning before Alabama pulled their star shortstop.

“Kind of rung his bell a bit, but he felt okay,” Vaughn told the T-News.

Prior to the collision, Lebron belted a three-run home run in the top of the second inning to give the 19th-ranked Crimson Tide a 4-0 advantage on South Carolina. Lebron went 1-for-4 in Friday’s game and currently fields a .265 batting average with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs, 51 runs scored, and is 36-of-37 in stolen base attempts this season. His 36 stolen bases are the fourth-most in college baseball this season.

“Justin is doing well and was removed from tonight’s game for precautionary reasons,” an Alabama spokesperson told the Tuscaloosa News. “He will continue to be monitored tonight and his status for tomorrow will be determined after he engages in pregame activities.”

Lebron is considered among college baseball’s top prospects in the upcoming 2026 MLB Draft, with MLB Pipeline recently mocking him to the Texas Rangers with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round. A rare five-tool player, Lebron is currently ranked as the No. 5 overall draft prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 19 rated prospect by Baseball America.

“He’s not going to go out and win batting titles, he might be a 45-grade hitter, but he’ll have 60 power, 60 speed, 60 arm, 60 defense, and he’s a definite shortstop,” MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis wrote last month. “He’s just one of those guys that the batting average is just the least impressive part of the package, but it’s also not a very important part of the package. He’s not a terrible hitter either, the strikeout rate is around 19 percent this year. It was closer to 25 percent last year. He’s drawn more walks as well.”

Alabama (33-17, 14-11 SEC) returns for Game 2 at 1 pm ET in Columbia on Saturday looking for its second-straight SEC series win after sweeping Vanderbilt last weekend in Tuscaloosa.