Red Sox won’t rush Eduardo Rodriguez
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox are being cautious with Eduardo Rodriguez as the young left-handed starter works his way back from a knee injury.
When Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez tweaked his knee shagging fly balls in the outfield during fielding drills the incident was initially brushed off as being relatively minor. Now here are are 12 days later and the talented young lefty has yet to take the mound this spring.
The clock is ticking down to the start of the regular season, putting Rodriguez’s availability for his first turn in the rotation in jeopardy. Manager John Farrell has already hinted that the team has been evaluating contingency plans in case Rodriguez isn’t ready to start the season.
Yet when it comes to Rodriguez returning from the right knee subluxation that has kept him on the sidelines this spring, Farrell insists there will be no rush.
"“We have to do what’s right by the player,” Farrell told reporters in Fort Myers early Thursday morning, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “You have to manage the situation for six, seven, potentially eight months rather than seven days. The one thing that we want to do is make sure the progression or the foundation is as strong as it possibly can be for the remainder of the season. We have to go by how the player is responding to whatever ailment he’s dealing with. We can’t shortcut that or short-circuit it, because there is a date on the calendar that’s nearing.”"
The Red Sox are being smart with their approach to Rodriguez’s recovery, knowing that a start or two in April isn’t nearly as important as the starts they hope he makes in October. Push too hard and they risk a setback that could result in a longer absence, which ultimately could cost the team a coveted postseason spot.
Even if Rodriguez is deemed healthy in early April it won’t necessarily mean he’s ready for game action. He’s currently missing valuable time this spring when pitchers are building up their arm strength, so once he’s able to get back on the mound again he’ll still be behind schedule. Depending on how limited his opportunities to pitch this month end up being, Rodriguez may end up being left behind to pitch a simulated game or two in extended spring training before making his season debut.
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A quirk in their early season schedule may work in favor of the Red Sox. Boston opens the season in Cleveland on April 4, which is followed by an off day before resuming the series that Wednesday. This means that David Price can take the mound on Opening Day and come back to pitch again on regular rest for the April 9 match-up against his former team in Toronto. In that case Boston won’t need a 5th starter until April 13, when the Red Sox wrap up their first home series of the season against the Baltimore Orioles. This would allow the Red Sox to stick with the five-man rotation they envision, while buying Rodriguez nearly an extra week.
If Rodriguez still isn’t ready by the time that first series at Fenway Park rolls around, the Red Sox do have the luxury of rotation depth to fall back on. One of the more interesting position battles this spring is between Joe Kelly and Henry Owens for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. If Rodriguez’s start to the season is delayed then they may both start the season in the rotation, giving the team an extra outing or two to evaluate each of them.
Farrell could also turn to the versatile Steven Wright as a fill-in starter. If the knuckleball pitcher makes the roster as a long reliever out of the bullpen then he may be the ideal solution to make a spot start. This way the Red Sox could avoid putting Rodriguez on the disabled list to start the season or making another corresponding roster move.
There is still no timetable for Rodriguez’s return, but it does seem like he’s getting closer. Farrell noted that the swelling in Rodriguez’s knee is under control and the team expects him to throw from 90-100 feet again on Thursday.
"“Through repetition he has gained some confidence on his landing leg, his right leg, which was effected by the knee issues,” said Farrell."
The next step will be having Rodriguez complete multiple bullpen sessions before having him face hitters. They don’t want to get ahead of themselves, so for now they are simply taking it one step at a time.
Rodriguez is looking to build upon an impressive rookie season in which he led all American League rookie pitchers with 10 wins and a 2.5 WAR.
The Red Sox may need a wait a bit longer than they hoped to get their exciting young lefty back on the mound, but Rodriguez will be worth the wait.