Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Could return as reliever
Rotowire
Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Tuesday that it's possible Rodriguez (lat) temporarily pitches out of the bullpen when he returns, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Rodriguez is throwing off a mound and is "moving in the right direction," per Elias, as he works his way back from a right lat strain. However, he is simply running out of time to get built back up, so the Orioles might have no choice but to use him in relief initially as they rebuild his stamina on the fly. Rodriguez has been sidelined since early August.
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Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Could face hitters this week
Rotowire
Rodriguez (lat) could face hitters at some point this week during the Orioles' road trip, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez began throwing off a mound last week and should be able to take the next step in his recovery soon. The right-hander has been sidelined since early August with a right lat strain and will surely need a rehab start or two before rejoining the Orioles' rotation, so he's probably looking at a late-September return even if all goes well.
Rodriguez (lat) threw a bullpen session at Camden Yards on Wednesday, Baltimore Banner Sports reports.
The right-hander got back on the mound for the first time since he was diagnosed with a strained lat nearly a month ago. Rodriguez will need to face hitters at least once before being cleared for a rehab start, but that should come soon. The 24-year-old is probably still at least a couple weeks away from a return from the 15-day injured list, however.
Rodriguez (lat) threw from flat ground before Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Rodriguez threw from flat ground for the second time this week and will progress to work from the mound soon. No exact timeline for his increased activity or activation from the injured list has been revealed.
Rodriguez (lat) threw from approximately 90 feet Tuesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Rodriguez hasn't yet progressed to throwing off a mound, though beginning long toss is still a step in the right direction. The 24-year-old righty has been on the injured list since Aug. 7 with a right lat strain and is still expected to return at some point in September.
Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Shooting for September return
Rotowire
General manager Mike Elias said Saturday that Rodriguez (lat) will be shut down from throwing for 10 days and hopes Rodriguez will be back sometime in September, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez is dealing with a mild right lat strain and was placed on the IL on Wednesday. While he'll be eligible to return Aug. 19, he's not expected to be activated until September. The 24-year-old has a 3.86 ERA and 130 strikeouts over 116.2 innings this season. Albert Suarez started in Rodriguez's place Tuesday and is expected to remain in the rotation while Rodriguez is sidelined.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Rodriguez has been diagnosed with a mild right lat strain, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Rodriguez was placed on the injured list earlier Wednesday due to what was labeled as "discomfort," but the team has now confirmed the right-hander suffered a strain following an MRI. Hyde added that he is optimistic about Rodriguez returning to the rotation relatively quickly, though the 24-year-old remains without an official timeline. Albert Suarez, who started in Rodriguez's place Tuesday against the Blue Jays, is the most likely option to fill the void in the Orioles rotation.
