University of Hawaii catcher Tyler Murray has been diagnosed with a wrist injury that will force him to miss nearly two months of the coming baseball season.

X-rays showed Murray has a fracture in the hamate bone in his left (non-throwing) wrist. He is scheduled to undergo surgery next week.

UH coach Mike Trapasso said he is hopeful Murray will return for the start of Big West Conference play. The Rainbow Warriors open the 2019 season against Portland on Feb. 15. They will play 24 nonconference games before the March 29 Big West opener against UC Irvine.

Murray, a fourth-year junior, started 17 games at catcher last year.

Murray is the only returning catcher. The ’Bows lost Kekai Rios to Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft, and Chayce Ka‘aua and David Noworyta to graduation.

Trapasso said Dallas Duarte, a Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate, will be the primary catcher during the nonconference schedule. Duarte is a gifted defender who also had been viewed as an option to play second, third or the outfield.

Freshman Daniel Crasnick will serve as Duarte’s backup.

The ’Bows will play an alumni team at 11 a.m. Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium. There is no admission fee.

The 17th UH Baseball Grand Slam Celebration is set for Sunday in the Stan Sheriff Center. Proceeds benefit the baseball program.

There will be live and silent auctions, and food and beverages provided by popular restaurants and suppliers.

Individual tickets may be purchased for $100. Each ticket comes with a complimentary UH baseball ticket. The price is $1,250 to sponsor a table of 10 seats.

For details, call (808) 956-6247.