Grayson Rodriguez didn’t make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster, though fate intervened, and he was pitching the team’s sixth game of the season. Five strong innings against Texas prompted a stay for nine more starts.
From there, Rodriguez showed both flashes of brilliance and the inexperience that rookies endure. After posting a 7.35 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP through 10 starts, Rodriguez was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to work on his control.
Rodriguez did post 56 strikeouts and 21 walks through 45.1 innings of work in his big league stint. Unfortunately, Rodriguez only completed five innings once and never completed six innings.
“I think the message was pretty clear when he went down the reasons why and what we felt like he needed to work on,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “The stuff has always been there. It’s all about command with him.”
Over seven starts in Norfolk, Rodriguez would post a 1.69 ERA while striking out 54, with 15 walks in 37.1 innings. In five of Rodriguez’s seven starts, he pitched six innings.
Rodriguez received International League Pitcher of the Month honors for June while with the Tides. He posted a 4-0 record in five starts and had an ERA of 2.22 while opponents hit .186 against him. He pitched 28.1 innings, striking out 39 to 12 walks.
Rodriguez is scheduled to pitch Monday, July 17, against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Baltimore. The Orioles will need to make a corresponding roster move to add Rodriguez. With Rodriguez returning to the rotation, Cole Irvin will move to the bullpen.
“We’re in the mindset of winning games right now, and hopefully, he sticks in the rotation the rest of the summer,” Hyde said.
As the postseason push continues, Rodriguez could be a key factor in the O’s second-half push. He has an opportunity to take the first big step in his legacy.
UPDATE: The Orioles made the move official Monday morning.
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, and right-hander Eduard Bazardo was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.
Bazardo appeared in three games out of the O’s pen, giving up four earned runs on six hits, with one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work. That comes to a 15.43 ERA and 2.57 WHIP for the 27-year-old Venezuelan native.
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