Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez may begin the season on the injured list. Manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, that Rodriguez has a “dead arm” and will be slowed down. With Opening Day now just a week away, that makes it possible Rodriguez starts the season on the 15-day injured list, depending on how things progress in the coming days.
At this point, it doesn’t appear to be a major issue. Rodriguez isn’t even being shut down, with Fletcher noting that he still threw today, but it’s concerning nonetheless. Injuries have been in the spotlight for Rodriguez in recent years. He made 43 starts for the Orioles in 2023 and the first half of the 2024 season. He hasn’t made an official start since July of 2024, primarily due to shoulder issues.
He underwent elbow debridement surgery in August of last year. He was flipped to the Angels early this offseason in a one-for-one-trade for outfielder Taylor Ward. After that deal, Rodriguez spoke about his health and seemed optimistic. He said that he had been dealing with bone spurs in his elbow for three or four years. He believed this was adding stress to his shoulder and causing his numerous problems with that part of his arm.
For Rodriguez to now be dealing with arm problems once again is less than ideal. Perhaps it will remain a fairly minor issue but the Angels don’t have a lot of margin for error. They came into camp with a rotation projected to include José Soriano, Yusei Kikuchi, Reid Detmers, Alek Manoah and Rodriguez. Soriano and Kikuchi are fine but the group is fairly questionable after that.
Detmers had a 3.96 ERA in relief last year but a 6.70 ERA as a starter the year prior. He has a 7.27 ERA in spring training so far. Like Rodriguez, Manoah is looking to bounce back after a lengthy injury absence, but he has a 9.39 ERA this spring.
If Manoah gets optioned or Rodriguez needs to spend some time on the IL, that could open a spot for Jack Kochanowicz. He’s having a good spring but posted a 6.81 ERA in the big leagues last year. Fletcher suggested yesterday that Ryan Johnson has a chance to earn a spot, getting an aggressive Opening Day nod yet again. The Angels gave him a spot in their bullpen to begin last season even though he hadn’t yet played a game as a professional. He posted a 7.36 ERA through early May, at which point he was optioned down to High-A.
It’s worth reiterating that there’s still nothing to indicate Rodriguez is dealing with any kind of major issue. He may still avoid the IL if he feels better in the coming days. Even if he lands on the shelf, Opening Day IL stints can be backdated three days, so he could be back in less than two weeks.
But the Angels are going into a season where they hope to contend but need a lot of things to go right in order to that to be possible. They went 72-90 last year and didn’t make strong moves to upgrade the roster this winter. The Playoff Odds at FanGraphs give them just a 4.9% chance of cracking the postseason. The PECOTA Standings at Baseball Prospectus are even more pessimistic, giving the Halos just a 0.1% chance.
A minor setback for a club’s fourth starter wouldn’t always be a cause for worry but it looms larger for the Angels than with other clubs since any setback can further diminish already-slim those odds.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Shocker.
Considering he was injured for huge chunks of both of the 2023 and 2024 seasons and didn’t play in the majors at all last season this was expected by almost everyone.
check the batteries in your sarcasm detector Web
Oh my goodness. Really?
Not a major issue? hes ailing and has a history. And a dead arm in March.
Elias didn’t trade G-Rod for a season of Ward without knowing that he’s all but done, or at the very least, has a microscopic chance of ever fulfilling his potential.
What else is new
“But the Angels are going into a season where they hope to contend but need a lot of things to go right in order for that to be possible.”
I guess the comment above is accurate, but feel like its a colossal understatement to say the Angels need a lot of things to go right to contend.
This seems to be the case every season.
It’s too bad MLB can’t relegate teams.
Its too bad MLB can’t fire team owners. Moreno is a disgrace.
Do the Angels have access to the internet? Deeply confused franchise.
Every single comment so far was what I came here to see!
Where are the people saying G-Rod was a “good pickup”
“Where are the people..’good pickup’..”..I believe those “people” were always in Baltimore.
You will eat those words. He has been out for 1.5 years. He will be back. God awful trade for O’s.
He’s settling into the Angels roster quite nicely.
Gotta love this time of year
Spring weather, sunshine, trees blooming, birds chirping….. and half the league’s pitchers going out with shoulder problems, elbow problems, limited range of motion, dead arms, fractures, TJS.… not in november december January february… no…. In march, A week before OD
Yes, injuries happen. Whats your point?
In important baseball news to everyone that is not an Angels fan, the Padres signed Don Orsillo and Mark “Mudcat” Grant to long term extensions as their TV broadcasters.
I hate the phrase “dead arm.” Dead means gone and never coming back. This is just a tired arm that will likely be okay with just some rest. Although with this guy, it might actually be a dead arm.
You seem fun.
You sound like my ex-wife.
Wow 43 starts in 2023? Those are Dead-Ball Era numbers lol
Welp, I guess that means Kochanowicz and Johnson will be the #4 and #5 starters. If the Angels stick Manoah as #5, that’s just clear proof they’re not serious about winning. He’s done nothing to show that he “deserves” a rotation spot.
Angels love their injured guys. Everybody knew this kid was a big injury risk. I think they like paying guys for doing nothing. Because they sure do it often enough.