Torey Lovullo Reflects on Handling of Eduardo Rodriguez’s Injury

It began as a minor concern but has evolved into a significant setback, costing the Diamondbacks a key component of their rotation for nearly half of the season.

After signing Eduardo Rodriguez to a lucrative 4-year, $80 million contract in December, the D-backs were optimistic. However, Rodriguez’s departure from his fourth spring training session raised eyebrows. Manager Torey Lovullo initially downplayed concerns, describing them as “minimal.”

Even as Rodriguez started the season on the IL, Lovullo remained optimistic, citing the left-hander’s progress as “very, very encouraging” as he began his throwing program in late March, even managing a few pitches from the mound.

However, just 13 days later, Rodriguez’s throwing program was halted due to a lack of improvement in his lat muscle. Subsequently, he was transferred to the 60-day IL, with a return not expected until mid-summer. Reflecting on the situation, Lovullo expressed regret, acknowledging that valuable lessons had been learned.

Lovullo noted, “We all learned a very valuable lesson … If we could choose to do things differently, it would be to re-image, make sure everything was good and then keep pushing forward.”

Video credits to Jesse Friedman at PHNXSports.