The Baltimore Orioles may be facing a much longer absence from one of their key players than originally expected.
On July 13, 2024, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) delivered a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees.
Recent developments have raised serious concerns within the Orioles’ organization after Rodriguez was pulled from his scheduled start and sent home for additional tests. He has been diagnosed with a lat issue, leading to his placement on the injured list. This same condition sidelined him for several months in 2022, and there are fears it might do so again.
The latest update is grim: according to Roch Kubatko of MASN, Rodriguez will be shut down for approximately 10 days and will undergo further imaging in about three weeks. With no baseball activities scheduled during this period, there is a strong possibility he may not pitch again this season. Depending on the findings from his upcoming imaging, he could potentially be out for the rest of the year.
If Rodriguez is indeed ruled out for the remainder of the season, he would become the fourth Opening Day starter from the Orioles’ rotation to be sidelined due to injury.
Given that starting pitching was a known weak spot for Baltimore coming into the season, they acquired Corbin Burnes to provide a much-needed ace. Currently, Burnes is the only Opening Day starter still available.
The Orioles will closely monitor Rodriguez’s recovery, but if the news from his next evaluation is unfavorable, it could mean he’s thrown his final pitch of 2024.