LEXINGTON, Ky. — A nagging hamstring injury can nearly derail an entire season. Just ask senior wide receiver Dorian Baker.

After catching 55 passes for 608 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore, Baker only played in four of Kentucky’s first seven games in 2016 because of a hamstring issue that lingered from fall camp until October. He didn’t catch a pass until the eighth game against Missouri, but he recorded a catch each game after that and finished the year with 19 receptions and 199 yards.

Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said Baker has practiced well this spring. Perhaps best of all is Baker hasn’t missed time with injuries.

“We really wanted him to get through the whole spring and then get through the whole summer,” Gran said. “That's what you're looking for in him and that consistency. But he's one that you got to say 'whoa' to. You don't have to say giddy up to him. He loves practice and he goes.”

While some players might have to battle to get through practice at times, Baker said he’s never been that way. The Cleveland, Ohio, native said rather he has fun at practice rather than slugging through it.

“Sometimes people come in ‘ah, practice, practice, practice,’ but once you actually get in there we’re playing music every day, you’re with your brothers, it’s kind of a good grind,” Baker said. “I call it a good grind at least.”

The grind on the practice field isn’t limited to just his physical abilities. Baker has battled dropped passes in each of his first three seasons in Lexington. He’s said in the past that he takes drop passes personally. He discussed one instance in particular on Tuesday morning. In the second quarter of Kentucky’s regular season finale at Louisville, Baker dropped a slant route on third down that would’ve been enough for a first down to extend the drive.

“I never forget anything,” Baker said. “I was like 'dang, I knew I could’ve caught that,' but it is what it is. You gotta make up for it. Then I made that big play in the fourth quarter.”

It was a big play indeed. Baker’s 35-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Stephen Johnson gave Kentucky the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats went on to win 41-38 on an Austin MacGinnis field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

“You just have to make up for (drops) when you get the opportunities,” Baker said. “Sometimes those opportunities don’t come around and you have to sit on it, but that’s what makes you get better throughout the week at practice.”