Angels’ big offseason addition is already injured

The Los Angeles Angels are already down on their luck (again).

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki revealed to reporters on Thursday that new pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is dealing with arm soreness (specifically a “dead arm”). Suzuki added that the Angels are now slowing Rodriguez down and that he could be a candidate for the injured list to start the season, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

The righty Rodriguez, 26, was the marquee addition of the Angels’ offseason. The team acquired him in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in November, giving up outfielder Taylor Ward (who had 36 home runs and a team-leading 103 RBIs last season) in order to do so.

Indeed, Rodriguez had shown flashes of brilliance over his first couple of seasons with the Orioles. He struck out a combined 259 batters over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns and also ranked second on the team with 13 wins in the latter season.

But Rodriguez also came with an already-significant injury risk. He missed the entire 2025 campaign due to an issue with his throwing elbow that eventually required season-ending elbow debridement surgery.

After going 72-90 last season, the Angels (who now own the longest active playoff drought in Major League Baseball) continue to suffer. On top of the injuries already beginning to pile up for them, the Angels recently alienated their fans with an unpopular decision during spring training.