After getting a second opinion on his ailing knee, Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez is expected to rest for a few weeks before attempting a return.
The latest update on the status of injured Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez is somewhat promising, although he’s not out of the woods yet.
CSNNE’s Evan Drellich reports that Rodriguez went to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his ailing knee that landed him on the disabled list. The recommendation was to rest for three to four weeks to recover from the right knee subluxation rather than rush into surgery that would end his season.
The good news is that after a few weeks of rest followed by a few more weeks of rehab, Rodriguez could return to help the Red Sox down the stretch. While Rodriguez still has swelling in his knee, confirming there is no ligament damage brings reason for optimism.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that his outlook will improve enough by simply waiting for the knee to heal. Surgery remains a distinct possibility, it’s merely a matter of if it can wait until after the season. A setback along his path to getting back on the mound will almost assuredly mean going under the knife.
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Rodriguez slipped in the bullpen while warming up for his start on June 1. He claimed to be fine and pushed forward with his scheduled start as planned, only to be shelled for seven runs in a loss to Baltimore. Clearly he wasn’t fine after all. The Red Sox were quick to place him on the DL once Rodriguez reported soreness the next day. His availability moving forward is now up in the air.
The Red Sox need to be cautious with the talented young lefty. This is hardly the first injury scare he’s had with the knee. What seemed initially to be a minor tweak in spring training ended up costing him the first two months of last season. He also hurt his knee when he slipped on a wet mount during winter ball last December. The right knee of Rodriguez being prone to injury has been a concern dating back to his days as a prospect in the Orioles system.
Boston will try to get by without Rodriguez until at least the second half of the season. David Price‘s return and the recent improvement of Drew Pomeranz certainly helps. Brian Johnson is the likely candidate to plug into the rotation while E-Rod recovers. He left his last start with cramping in his hamstring, although he’s expected to be fine. Johnson should still be in line to be called up the next time Rodriguez’ turn in the rotation comes around.
Let’s hope so, since the organization is thin on starting pitching depth. Remember the fringe options the Red Sox cycled through earlier this season to fill the void at the back of the rotation? Nobody wants to revisit that.