LSU baseball second baseman Gavin Dugas suffers shoulder injury vs. Kentucky

BATON ROUGE – LSU baseball second baseman Gavin Dugas suffered a shoulder injury against Kentucky on Thursday, according to coach Jay Johnson.

Dugas dove for a soft line drive at second base and landed on his shoulder during the seventh inning of the Tigers' eventual 16-6 win in eight innings. He eventually got up and walked off the field under his own power.

"The trainer was positive, but I'm done trying to speculate on injuries," Johnson said after the game.

VCU transfer Ben Nippolt replaced Dugas after he suffered the injury.

Heading into Thursday, Dugas had 10 home runs, a .508 on-base percentage and a .753 slugging percentage. He also changed positions this season, moving from the outfield to second base after starting his career in Baton Rouge as an infielder.

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If Dugas is out for any significant period of time, the Tigers have a few potential options to fill his stead, including fifth-year senior Jack Merrifield, Nippolt and freshman infielder/pitcher Gavin Guidry. But none of them provide the level of production Dugas – the Tigers' leadoff hitter – has brought to LSU's lineup this season.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball: Gavin Dugas suffers injury vs. Kentucky