Last night, left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez was removed from his start after throwing warmups in the second inning with left lat tightness. Last night, manager Torey Lovullo described the injury as more of a back than a shoulder issue. Fortunately, it appears the team dodged a bullet in regards to a potentially serious injury for the left-hander.
"I was next to him when he was getting examined, and he seemed to be in good spirits," said Lovullo. "The medical staff was encouraged by what they got."
The team is still evaluating the extent of Rodríguez's injury, although they have not discussed any imaging yet. The training staff was able to recreate those symptoms, although not as severe as last night. Lovullo described it as an encouraging sign for Rodríguez. He has not heard the word strain yet when getting information from the medical staff.
Lovullo did not say if this was going to lead to the left-hander getting shut down, but also said they want him asymptomatic before they put him back on the mound. Rodríguez was originally slated to start March 30th against the Rockies, 10 days from today. Lovullo remains optimistic that the left-hander could be ready for that start, but is not certain about that.
Rodríguez was signed to a four-year, $80 million deal in the offseason to solidify the middle of the rotation. Any potential absence could be problematic for the team, as it would mean another young starter in the rotation. Two of the remaining candidates for the 5th starter competition are set to pitch in today's game against the Rockies. Both Tommy Henry or Bryce Jarvis would line up to start in Rodríguez's place should he need a short stint on the injured list to begin the season.
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