Ohio State OL undergoes third surgery after leg injury

An Ohio State offensive lineman is on his third surgery in less than a year.

On Thursday morning, Brandon Bowen shared an image on Instagram, picturing a hospital bed, tagging the location as the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and posting the note “Third surgery’s a charm?”

Per Eleven Warriors, a spokesperson with Ohio State confirmed the surgery. No timetable on his possible recovery time was mentioned.

Bowen had earned the job as the Buckeyes’ starting right guard last season and appeared in six games before suffering a season-ending leg injury in a game against Maryland. He was hoping to return in time for the 2018 season but the lengthy and trying recovery has stood in the way.

According to Austin Ward of Letterman Row, Bowen is out indefinitely:

Veteran guard Branden Bowen was still dealing with pain in his surgically-repaired leg throughout training camp, and he will be on the shelf again indefinitely for the Buckeyes. A starter last season until suffering a fractured fibula, Bowen was faced with a decision to undergo another operation in order to manage pain and get back to full strength or try to play through the discomfort. Based on a social-media post from his account on Thursday morning, it appears the redshirt junior elected to have the procedure

Bowen has played in 19 career games for the Buckeyes, including six starts in 2017. He was not listed on the team’s depth chart this season.