Drew French, the Baltimore Orioles pitching coach, discussed the situation of starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
For once, Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde did not provide daily injury updates — at least not for pitching.
On Sunday, pitching coach Drew French spoke with reporters, including MLB.com, about numerous injured pitchers, including starting Grayson Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has been out for more than a month due to a right lat/teres strain, and he was last observed throwing approximately 20 pitches during a bullpen session at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Wednesday. According to witnesses, he combined his fastball with off-speed deliveries in his first pitching practice following the injury.
It was an encouraging session. French stated that the next phase will be to throw to live batters, followed by a rehab assignment.
But, with only a few weeks left in the regular season, it begs the question: does Rodriguez have enough time to return as a starter?
French described the team as “hopeful.”
“Yes, we are hopeful,” he remarked. “We realize we’re up against it right now, but we’re optimistic about the approach we’ve devised with the medical staff and the front office. We hope to have him return in that capacity. Clearly, everything is on the table at this point. So just take it day by day, and we’ll see where we are at the end.”
Since the right-hander has been out for a month, he would ordinarily go on a rehab assignment with a minor-league team to prepare for his return to the rotation. However, minor league baseball is beginning to wind down, and a date for him to resume is unclear.
The Orioles shut him down for 10 days following his injury on August 6.
Rodriguez may be able to build up on the fly with Baltimore. Last year, Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi missed August due to an injury and decided to return in September without a rehab start to prepare for the postseason.
The Orioles’ plans for Rodriguez, who has not made a Major League bullpen appearance this season, may be determined by the schedule, among other factors.
The former first-round pick improved dramatically this season, his second with Baltimore. At the time of his injury, he was 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts. He struck out 130 and walked 36 in 116.2 innings. He and Corbin Burnes had formed a formidable 1-2 punch, and the addition of Zach Eflin strengthened the rotation even further.
Eflin has recently returned from his own injury-related absence. Rodriguez had a spell earlier this season due to right shoulder discomfort but recovered on schedule.
As a rookie in 2023, he was 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 23 games, striking out 129 and walking 42.
