Republicans hoping to redeem themselves after a devastating loss in last year’s Congressional Baseball Game will have to take the field without one of their star players.  

Rep. Ron DeSantis will not be playing in the 53rd annual game this June due to a shoulder problem.  This is bad news for his team, since the Florida Republican was an accomplished player .  DeSantis was the captain of the Yale baseball team his senior year and played in the Little League World Series.  

Last year, Republicans hoped DeSantis could provide some balance against the Democratic Rep. Cedric L. Richmond of Louisiana.  Although DeSantis showed his skills on the field, it was not enough to stop the Democrats from winning 22-0.  

Without one of their top players, Republicans may have an even tougher time against the Democrats this year.  But despite last year’s performance, Republican team manager Joe L. Barton of Texas told Roll Call that his team had “a lot of enthusiasm and a real positive attitude.”