Chris Maldonado will not return to Vanderbilt baseball in 2027.
"Thank you @VandyBoys and thank you Baseball," Maldonado said on Instagram on Aug. 26. "Forever grateful for this amazing blessing."
Maldonado came to the Commodores as a freshman after flipping to Vanderbilt from Clemson to play with his brother, Nick Maldonado, a former pitcher for the Commodores. In his first season in 2023, he led the team with a .310 batting average and added on 12 doubles and eight home runs.
But early in his sophomore season in 2024, Maldonado suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after just five games. Returning in 2025, he wasn't the same, hitting .086 with two doubles in 21 games.
In 2026, Maldonado bounced back somewhat. He appeared in 41 games, starting
26, with a .255 batting average, nine doubles and four home runs, though he was not an everyday starter.
Maldonado's statement indicated that he did not plan on playing baseball anymore, even though he has an additional year of eligibility from his injury-shortened 2024. As a graduate, he would be allowed to enter the transfer portal up until December 15 if he wished to play somewhere else.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Chris Maldonado will not return to Vanderbilt baseball in 2027
