April 18: Hyde said today that Rodriguez is getting a second opinion after receiving the results of his MRI, per Weyrich.
April 17: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde provided a troubling update about right-hander Grayson Rodriguez today, with video shared by Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun. Hyde says that Rodriguez recently had a side session canceled due to some shoulder soreness and was sent for an MRI today.
The results of that imaging haven’t come back yet but it’s a less than ideal development regardless. Rodriguez started the season on the 15-day injured list due to some soreness in his elbow/triceps area. He’s been trying to ramp back up lately, throwing bullpen sessions, but that now all seems to be up in the air.
For a pitcher to be dealing with simultaneous elbow and shoulder troubles is a worrisome state of affairs in any context, but it’s also notable given his track record. Rodriguez dealt with shoulder problems at times last year as well. He had a stint of almost three weeks on the IL in May, with right shoulder inflammation listed as his official ailment. He was back on the IL in early August due to right lat/teres discomfort. The injury was initially described as mild and the O’s hoped to have him back late in the year but that ultimately did not come to pass. A notable lat strain also impacted him as a prospect in 2022, shutting him down for about three months and delaying his major league debut until the 2023 campaign.
Needless to say, it’s not what the Orioles want. They came into this season with Rodriguez and Zach Eflin as the top two pitchers in the projected rotation. Rodriguez has been out all season with his elbow inflammation and now has shoulder problems on top of that. Eflin made three starts before himself landing on the IL due to a lat strain. He played catch yesterday for the first time since that IL placement, per Weyrich, and still seems to have some boxes to check.
There are other injuries as well. Kyle Bradish had Tommy John surgery in June of last year and won’t be available until the second half even in a best-case scenario. Tyler Wells also had UCL surgery in June of last year. Chayce McDermott is on the IL with a lat strain, like Eflin. Trevor Rogers is on the IL with kneecap subluxation. Swingman Albert Suárez is also on the shelf, in his case due to shoulder inflammation.
Going into the offseason, many observers expected the O’s to be aggressive in adding to their rotation. They had lost Bradish to his surgery and Corbin Burnes to free agency. With a new owner in place, it was expected that some new payroll parameters could allow them to play at the top or perhaps the middle of the free agent market.
Instead, the O’s added some veteran back-end guys. They gave a one-year deal to 41-year-old Charlie Morton and another one-year pact to Tomoyuki Sugano. The latter is a bit younger than the former but is 35 and came into this year with no big league experience, looking to make the move from Japan.
With all the injuries, things aren’t going great. Morton has an 8.84 ERA thus far. Sugano’s 3.86 ERA looks better but an 84.2% strand rate is helping him work around an 8.1% strikeout rate. Cade Povich has stepped up and posted a solid 3.60 ERA in three starts but Dean Kremer is at 6.41.
Kyle Gibson will join the group eventually but he is still building up due to a late signing. He got up to 3 2/3 innings in his most recent minor league start. Brandon Young has no major league experience but is on the 40-man and putting up good numbers in Triple-A. Cody Poteet is also on the 40-man but has been working in relief in the minors, with nine earned runs allowed in five innings.
The season is still very young but the O’s are 7-10 and currently in the basement of a very competitive American League East. They entered spring training with a top-heavy rotation featuring two front-end guys in Rodriguez and Eflin and a lot of back-end candidates, though they’ve gotten almost nothing from that Eflin/Rodriguez duo so far. Ideally, both will be getting back to the team in the coming weeks/months, but this update adds an unsettling level of uncertainty.
Wonder how much this article might overlap with the previous article about Miami trading Alcantara. Sure seems like the O’s need pitching more then ever. They’re currently sitting 3rd worst in the majors in staff ERA+
Yeah they need to flip Coby Mayo for a pitcher like Alcantara. If not Mayo then maybe mountcastle but I don’t think he will get as good of a return
You think Miami would trade Sandy for Ryan Mountcastle? I highly doubt they want a 28 yr old 1B that averaged 2 WAR and hasn’t hit more than 20 2Bs in 3 years.
Except Coby Mayo isn’t a headliner for a good starter. Can’t field and a big hole in his swing. Throw the prospect ranking out the window. Mountcastle may be convenient to trade, but sellers are going to insist on a headliner they don’t wish to trade.
Throw Kjerstad in that deal?
Mayo would get you Martin Perez maybe tho if he stifles the Red Socks again maybe not
Mountcastle is a free agent after next season. The Marlins wouldn’t be interested. As far as Mayo he’s the 1B insurance in the event Mountcastle leaves after next year
LOL
If Mayo can’t catch balls at 3B, what makes you think he can catch them at 1B?
And next to the P and C, the 1B handles the ball the most….far, far more than a 3B does. 1B is a much more difficult position to play, especially when having to hold a runner on.
3B is tougher to play than 1B. What are you smoking?
Classic Samuel…
Waiting for the dreaded “seeking second opinion” . . .
You called it
I was hoping that you were wrong, while thinking that you were 100% correct.
Doc says, “The shoulder is toast.”
Patient says, “I’m going to need a second opinion”
Doc says, Ok you’re ugly too..
Lol
Yeah it’s sounds like a labrum issue and he is likely done for this season at the very least. Tough break for the kid, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy to trot out there enough to really take that front of the rotation promise and run with it.
I’ve owned so many O’s fans on their takes it’s not even worth it. We all saw this coming and as I’ve said for years, they just hoard prospects and it cost them any chance they ever had.
lol dude
“I’ve owned..cost them any chance”…
You just may be the best and most brilliant hindsight GM that I’ve ever seen.
I’m amazed that some forward thinking team that needs a hindsight GM hasn’t already scooped you up, from down here in the MLBTRADERUMORS comments section.
Goals! Striving! Achieving! Go KBP
Great job! Everyone is so proud of you
Your arm must hurt worse than Greysons does from all that back patting.
Joel glad to see you got out of jail.
FYI you really haven’t owned anyone ever in these comments. You have proven you are only a fan of baseball stats and baseball news.
Remember you are the guy who was arguing with people as you thought there was no hindrance on LH paying in the IF. Your incarceration hasn’t made your ignorance disappear….
Who is Joel? What am I missing?
Joel has been a regular for some time hear. He often has tantrums after he makes wildly false assertions. He’s been known to slander and attack the writers here accusing them of biased. He lashes out at others while claiming to have seen every bit of what ever current aspect he’s lashing out about. Yet he doesn’t know some of the more common terms used in current MLB broadcasts. Nor does he know many of the basics if the sport that are often taught as early as T-ball. Such as when he was lashing out at others as he thought they were fools when mentioning th liabilities associated with left handed infielders.
He abruptly disappeared for the past 2 or 3 months entirely. He’s recently remerged and is often mentioning courts, laws, and things of that nature. That added to him not exactly being McD’s fry technician material makes it pretty easy to surmise where he’s been . I have to assume he found jail to be quite “lame”….
Shoulder injuries are so much worse than the dreaded elbow. Hopefully it’s nothing but always cringe when it’s the shoulder.
I expect Elias is going to finally have to go heavy on the pitching drafting this year. You need a million with the bust and injury rate and we certainly are lacking
You guys need to trade prospects and spend $$$ for guys who can pitch now. As Jays fan though I hope your front office takes your approach. Build your staff through the draft.
*needed. They are too late – they had opportunities for Crochet and Cease and sat on their prospects, and magically those types of starters aren’t available and their prospects have lost some of the luster. Maybe they can go get another noodle-arm from Japan.
Top Ramen ?
This is for the future—not right now. It’s unsustainable to not have a minor league pitching pipeline.
We have to sign pitchers next offseason because we don’t have enough of them in the org.
The amount of O’s fans that think they can get a decent SP for Mountcastle blows my mind
Austin Hays all over again.
Cue the hysterics.
If you’re going to overreact — maybe Nolan Reimold might be a better comp than Hays. lol
Those would be the ones who very clearly don’t know anything about player valuations and think that it’s like some video game. I promise you that there are those of us who know better.
Can Holliday pitch?
He’s done for the year.
Just one? Promise?
If it’s a labrum it could be longer. If so he has about 65% chance of returning and an even lower probability that he returns to previous levels. Obviously it shortens careers as well. Not trying to be a downer, just trying to balance reality and worst case to temper expectations. A second opinion after getting shut down for a shoulder isn’t a good sign at all. I had some semblance of hope yesterday but after the news of seeking a second opinion that faded fast.
This is verbatim my thoughts. His Orioles career is done. Possibly his MLB career too. I feel bad for the kid
That guy is a baby. Constantly letting his teammates down. Next will be a hang nail.
Get rid of him.
Haha Teek olde
Dylan Bundy II.
Everybody knows where this is headed except the orioles. Obviously out for at least the season. Most of us knew it in spring training. Who is responsible for conducting these MRI’s, diagnosing and recommending rehab vs surgery for this team?
“Who is responsible for conducting these MRI’s, diagnosing and recommending rehab vs surgery for this team?”
LernersWallet;
LOL
That’s the issue? Who’s looking at the tests and then recommending what to do?
The issue is why this is happening to literally all the O’s starting pinchers.
And further LOL…..
The solution in posts above above is to trade for a pitcher that’s coming off of surgery (and is still not right). But stand in line……the Chicago media narrative is that the Cubs should trade for the guy to replace the injured Justin Steele….and NYC media is saying that the Yankees need to trade for the guy to replace their starters that are questionable. Stick around, by the time the Marlins will be ready to trade the guy at least 4 other teams will have similar problems.
This is just hilarious!
P.S. I saw this coming 10 years ago and recommended the solution then, and for a number of years thereafter. But was seen as a crazy person on this board, as well as by a few MLB reporters that I met and spoke with. A similar situation happened in MLB history and was addressed. However, those that don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Then again, history doesn’t count to this generation because it’s a new day…so they’re disrespectful and ignorant……who cares about dinosaurs anyway?…people just wanna have fun! Decides, MLB is all about generating revenue by making each game a spectacle and dragging it out for as long as they can. Everything is about generating revenues. Integrity is for losers.
Rule #1 in Critical Thinking:
Ignore what involved people (that are prospering financially) say and do, look at what the reoccurring problem is, and return to First Principles.
“We just can’t have nice things…”
Ah well fun while it lasted hello 4th place my old friend
They can have Marcus Stroman for an AA player to be name later
Hickey Mantle was a pretty stout AA player
Better to try and get a AAA player to be name later he could drive the bus too
ERA is a pretty meaningless stat on April 18th – whether high or low.
It was always TJ
Tms / players always delaying the inevitable
get it done & get it over with
@chandler
You talk about a major surgery with non-zero chance of career ending failure like it’s popping one of your pimples.
Some percentage of pitchers never make it back from their TJ. It’s not an unforgivable sin to show some caution, and furthermore — how is it that everyone seems to know exactly what Grayson’s scans and medical team advice may be?
Let’s slow our roll and see. I want him to fully make good on his prospect promise and even moreso to end our rotation’s lackluster start to the season but it’s not nearly as open and shut a case as some seem to think it is. We’ll sée.
The dreaded 2nd opinion. See you in late 2026 Grayson
He can be back just in time for the lockout.
Gipson Kremer Morton Sugano Povich
Eflin McDermott Young Poteet Rogers Suarez
Not the best group but as a collective maybe you get some good innings. Throw ’em all, stack the bullpen with swingmen, throw everything you got, see were you are at come the trade deadline.
They’ll regret trading Mayo. If ’25 isnt your year, there is always ’26.
Id say the Orioles could probably get Nick Martinez off the Reds for a prospect or two, if they wanted to pick up his paycheck, that wouldnt be a bad option for the O’s at this point. Andrew Abbott is lighting it up tonight, Reds have three very good pitching prospects ready to debut, and Martinez is getting 21M on a one year deal, they’d be happy to cut that payroll to add a bat.
This year’s Baltimore train wreck was easily seen way before the season started. The team has no pitching. The team is cooked!