Rodriguez Injury Drama! Conflicting Reports Emerge on Health of Orioles Ace
UPDATE, 4:45 p.m. ET: Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner says Hyde never said this and we need to wait for the results of a further evaluation.
4:30 p.m. ET: According to Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is not likely to be ready for Opening Day.
Joseph Ralphburg of the Baltimore Riser had the information on social media.
Grayson Rodriguez had tricep soreness. Brandon Hyde “doesn’t expect” him to be ready for opening day.
Now, that doesn’t specify whether or not Rodriguez will begin the year on the injured list, or just if he’ll be a few days behind the opener, but either way, it’s tough news for an Orioles team that lost Corbin Burnes and John Means from the starting rotation this offseason and is counting on Rodriguez to step up.
Kyle Bradish is also set to miss significant time this year after undergoing elbow surgery.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez is seen as a potential front line ace, and he certainly showed his stuff in 2024. Through 20 starts, Rodriguez went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA. He struck out 130 batters in 116.2 innings, however injury limited him and he missed the team’s playoff run.
The Orioles finished second in the American League East and advanced to the wild card round, where they were swept in two games by the Kansas City Royals.
In addition to losing Burnes and Means, the O’s also saw slugger Anthony Santander exit in free agency. However, they made other improvements, like signing slugger Tyler O’Neill and bringing in veteran pitchers Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton. The O’s also return Felix Bautista, who missed all of last season with injury, and can count on the development of young players like Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg.
