Red Sox could be getting Eduardo Rodriguez back very soon
By Cody Rivera
Eduardo Rodriguez looked sharp in his second rehab start and could be returning to the Red Sox rotation fairly soon.
His name has fallen off the radar a bit in recent weeks, but Eduardo Rodriguez has been an integral part of the starting rotation for the Boston Red this season. At least, until he went down in mid-July with an ankle injury.
During a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Rodriguez attempted to cover first base and collided with Toronto’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Rodriguez toppled over him and then went to the ground. He came out of the game after throwing five and a third scoreless innings on just a mere 67 pitches.
The Red Sox have been without Rodriguez for over a month, but if things continue to go smoothly for the 25-year-old lefty, he could be returning to Boston’s rotation in the very near future. He made his second rehab start with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs on Monday, pitching four innings and allowing two hits and two walks, along with six strikeouts. Rodriguez reportedly looked very sharp in his first rehab start as well.
Though things will be different once Rodriguez gets back and starts facing big league hitters again, his rehab performances were awfully reminiscent of how he was pitching for the Red Sox prior to his injury. His biggest struggle was pitch count, as he rarely found himself going deep into games. But when Rodriguez was on the mound, he was pitching effectively with an ERA of 3.44.
The New York Yankees have significantly narrowed the gap in the AL East as they are now trailing the Red Sox by only six games. Boston is temporarily without its ace, Chris Sale, who went to the DL with shoulder inflammation. Meanwhile, Nathan Eovaldi has been ineffective in his last few starts, and Rick Porcello is always unpredictable.
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The Red Sox rotation could certainly use Rodriguez, who at the very least could provide some stability. He will likely pitch a few more rehab innings before he officially makes his return, just to be on the safe side. But as the Red Sox battle to fend off the Yankees down the stretch of the regular season, Rodriguez could be back on the mound sooner rather than later.