The Baltimore Orioles will likely be with out considered one of their high starters to start the common season. Proper-hander Grayson Rodriguez is coping with a difficulty close to the again of his elbow and can start the season on the injured checklist, the workforce introduced Friday. He’s nonetheless going by checks to find out the precise nature and extent of the harm. On Sunday, supervisor Brandon Hyde instructed reporters that Rodriguez is being shut down for seven to 10 days after receiving a cortisone shot in his elbow. Assuming he progresses as anticipated, he’ll start a throwing program after that shutdown interval ends.
Rodriguez mentioned he “felt fairly sluggish” following his most up-to-date spring begin this previous Wednesday. The 25-year-old pitcher has a prolonged arm harm historical past, together with a bout of shoulder irritation early final 12 months and a lat pressure that ended his season in early August. He additionally missed about three months with a lat pressure whereas within the minors again in 2022.
Final season Rodriguez made 20 begins earlier than the lat harm, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 116 ⅔ innings. He was positioned to have a breakout season in 2025 and turn out to be a bona fide top-of-the-rotation starter. As a substitute, he’ll begin the season on the shelf. Baltimore’s rotation depth chart at present seems one thing like this:
- RHP Zach Eflin
RHP Grayson Rodriguez(will begin season on the injured checklist)- RHP Charlie Morton
- RHP Dean Kremer
- RHP Tomoyuki Sugano
- RHP Albert Suárez
- LHP Cade Povich
LHP Trevor Rogers(out with knee harm)
Suárez and Povich may each make the Opening Day roster. Suárez is out of choices, that means he should cross by waivers to go to Triple-A, and the O’s will not threat dropping him. It may very well be Povich because the No. 5 starter and Suárez within the bullpen to start the season. Final 12 months Suárez pitched to a 3.70 ERA in 133 ⅔ innings unfold throughout 24 begins and eight aid appearances.
“That is why you need to have as a lot beginning pitching depth as doable,” Hyde mentioned (by way of MLB.com). “It is unlucky with Grayson. We’re hoping for the very best. However like I’ve mentioned a lot, we’ll be needing greater than 5 starters all 12 months. We’ll want guys to step up.”
In different Orioles harm information, setup man Andrew Kittredge lately underwent left knee debridement surgical procedure and will likely be sidelined long-term. He was slated to function a late-inning bridge to nearer Félix Bautista. That duty will now fall to lefties Keegan Akin and Gregory Soto, and righties Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez.
Kittredge, 35 later this month, signed a one-year contract price $10 million this offseason. He threw 70 ⅔ innings with a 2.80 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals final season. Kittredge, Morton ($15 million), and Sugano ($13 million) have been Baltimore’s main offseason pitching additions. The three veterans all signed one-year contracts.
The O’s are hardly the one AL East workforce coping with accidents. The New York Yankees have misplaced Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Giancarlo Stanton (elbow) this spring, amongst others, and the Boston Crimson Sox will likely be with out Wilyer Abreu (sickness), Brayan Bello (shoulder), and Kutter Crawford (knee) to start the season.
