OXFORD | Ole Miss may only have one more series without Hunter Elliott.

What his immediate workload is, when he returns, however, remains to be seen.

The Ole Miss ace has missed seven weeks with a strained UCL in his left elbow. Elliott has been in a throwing program and is on schedule for a return this month.

If his next two rehab assignments go well, the sophomore should see the game mound against LSU in fewer than two weeks.

Elliott allowed two runs in five innings in the season opener against Delaware. The Tupelo, Mississippi, native, in 2022, was a Freshman All-American with a 2.70 ERA in 20 games and 12 starts. He was undefeated in the NCAA Tournament.

“He threw a bullpen on Monday and Thursday full speed, felt great,” Bianco said. “He’ll throw another bullpen next week and throw to some hitters live, prior to going to Starkville. Then just continue to progress.

“If he continues to hit all his marks and feel good, I would think that he would pitch that LSU weekend in some capacity.”

The Rebels, 2-10 in the SEC and losers of four straight SEC series to start the year, are at Mississippi State this weekend before hosting LSU. The Bulldogs are 3-9 in the league after a series win at Alabama.

Elliott’s return can’t be overstated, as the Rebels search for roles throughout the pitching staff. What’s he’s able to do immediately is a bit of a question. Bianco has said multiple times Elliott will require some time to build up into his normal pitch count.

While not the same situation, Mississippi State’s recent plan for Cade Smith could provide some clues. Ole Miss will mostly likely see Smith on Friday in Starkville, as he’s increased his number of pitches the past two weeks.

Smith started against Arizona State on February 24 but didn’t appear again until March 31 versus South Carolina because of injury. That was a two-inning bullpen effort with 32 pitches versus the Gamecocks.

MSU started Smith against Alabama this past weekend but limited him to three innings and 42 pitches.

"We’re just going to stretch him some more,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said prior to the Alabama series. “We’re going to try to get another inning or two out of him, and then another inning or two the following week (against Ole Miss). I think he’s about two weeks from being full go like he normally would.”

Elliott may be on a faster timetable than Adams, but a ramp-up period is still expected. Nevertheless, Ole Miss getting him back on the field in any capacity is good news.

The Rebels may also be within a few weeks of Riley Maddox’s return. The sophomore right-hander had Tommy John surgery last May but has progressed quickly in his recovery. Bianco estimated the end of the month for his full return.

“He’s been terrific,” Bianco said. “He looks great. Usually when they get to this point it’s not about pain, it’s about rhythm and pitching. Can they pitch? and he has. He’s thrown all his pitches. Fastball, slider, change. This week he was able to throw, in the protocol, his breaking ball at full speed.”

Maddox had a 5.24 ERA in 14 appearances across 22.1 innings last season, striking out 16 with nine walks. He injured his elbow on April 22 against Mississippi State.