Jon Duplantier has a chance to be a first-round pick with a strong 2016 campaign. (Rice)

Rogers: Progress With Rice’s Jon Duplantier

The Rice Owls consistently play one of the nation’s more difficult schedules, and they’ve done so this season without draft-eligible and rising sophomore righthander Jon Duplantier, who has been sidelined since the middle of spring workouts with arm discomfort.

The good news for the Owls?

Though Rice coach Wayne Graham wasn’t especially optimistic a few days ago about Duplantier’s chances of returning this season, the latest look and opinion of his MRI painted a much more positive and refreshing picture.

“I can’t really go into specifics about his[…]