And now we know a little more of the rest of the story.
Tuesday, after Alabama had put the finishing touches on its first practice of the spring, Nick Saban confirmed that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had suffered an unspecified injury to the thumb on his left (throwing) hand. It was expected that the quarterback would travel to Birmingham for further evaluation of the injury.
Wednesday, it was reported that the injury was believed to be just a sprain and that Tagovailoa could return to practice soon; Thursday, that came to fruition, although Tagovailoa was only back on a limited basis.
Friday brought further perspective, with Tagovailoa’s father telling KHON-TV in their home state of Hawaii that his son underwent surgery to repair a broken index finger on his left hand. Galu Tagovailoa told the television station that the injury was the result of a “freak accident.”
Tagovailoa, who suffered the injury after hitting his hand on a teammate, underwent surgery that same night, this past Tuesday.
While he heals from the procedure, Tagovailoa will wear a protective glove on the hand. For the time being, he’ll essentially be limited to footwork drills and the like.
It’s unknown when Tagovailoa, who is in the midst of a battle with two-year starter Jalen Hurts, will be cleared for full participation. According to the station, however, his parents expect him to be back before Alabama’s spring game April 21.