To little fanfare, Pedro Alvarez came back this week. The Vanderbilt junior third baseman had been taking ground balls the last few weeks after breaking his hamate bone on his right hand in the season’s first weekend at the end of February. He was expected to be out six-to-eight weeks, and returned at the front end of that window, as his injury happened Feb. 22 against Oregon State. He went 1-for-4 with a double in his return, then 0-for-4 in his second game back.

"I think he’s just trying to get his timing back, but he feels comfortable, there’s no pain," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. "I think that’s the only thing he’s worried about. Going to the doctor to get clearance, he was asking some tough questions: Would there be any more pain if he swung and missed at pitches outside, or if he check swung? The doctor confirmed he couldn’t do any more damage, it’s just scar tissue. He looked good. He’s just getting his timing back, but it’s better to have him on the field than standing next to me in the dugout."

The Commodores held their ground in Alvarez’s absence, and they’ll carry a 19-7 overall record (5-3 in the SEC) and a No. 8 national ranking into this weekend’s series at Mississippi. Vandy opened the year ranked third, and they’ve fared much better in Alvarez’s absence than Ole Miss has at full strength. The Rebels began the year ranked fourth and recently tumbled out of the top 25 after losing their third weekend series in four tries.