In a late-breaking move ahead of a high-stakes SEC showdown, Tennessee baseball has scratched starting pitcher Landon Mack from his scheduled start in the series finale against No. 4 Texas on May 10. The sophomore right-hander is sidelined with general arm soreness, according to a team spokesperson, though the Vols expect him to miss only limited time.

Mack, a Rutgers transfer who has been a steady presence in Tennessee's rotation this season, boasts a 4.67 ERA over 61.2 innings across 12 starts—numbers that rank third among Vols starters. He began the year as the No. 2 man in the rotation but earned a promotion to Friday starter midway through the season. Most recently, he was shifted to the series finale role ahead of last weekend's trip to Kentucky.

That outing against Kentucky was arguably Mack's best of the year. He fired six innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits while striking out six on 102 pitches—only the second time this season he's eclipsed the century mark in pitch count. The performance secured Tennessee's lone win of that series.

The Vols (33-17, 12-13 SEC) have yet to announce a replacement starter for the Texas finale, but the stakes are high as they prepare for a crucial stretch. After this weekend, Tennessee has just one more SEC series remaining—a regular-season finale at Oklahoma from May 14-16.

Texas, meanwhile, made a pitching change of its own. Right-hander Ruger Riojas, a top MLB draft prospect with a 3.71 ERA and 5-2 record, will not start on May 9 as originally planned. The decision was coach-driven, and left-handed graduate student Luke Harrison (4.35 ERA) will step in, moving up a day from his scheduled May 10 start.

As both teams juggle their rotations, all eyes will be on who takes the mound for Tennessee in a game that could have major postseason implications.