Diamondbacks already lose free agent signing for start of pivotal season

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a surprising run going from an 84-win Wild Card team all the way to the World Series. They ultimately fell just short against the Texas Rangers, but Arizona put themselves on the map with their miraculous postseason run.

The Diamondbacks carried that momentum into the offseason where they were very active. They landed impactful players like Eugenio Suarez and Joc Pederson while also re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. For as big as those moves were, the most important move Arizona made was signing Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year deal. Rodriguez was set to join Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to form one of the best trios not only in the National League but in all of baseball.

Rodriguez was slated to be the team's No. 3 starter but after suffering a lat injury, he's going to begin what is a crucial year for the Diamondbacks, on the injured list.

Diamondbacks will begin season without their big free agent signing

Nothing has been said about a timeline for Rodriguez's return, but the fact that he's been shut down from throwing completely suggests he'll be out for more than the minimum of 15 days. This is a pretty big loss for an Arizona team that could use a good third starter like Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is coming off a strong season which saw him post a 3.30 ERA in 26 starts and 152.2 innings of work for the Tigers. He wasn't named an All-Star, but certainly pitched at an All-Star level for much of the season.

Replacing Rodriguez in the rotation will presumably be Tommy Henry, a solid depth piece to have as he put up a respectable 4.15 ERA in 17 appearances (16 starts) last season.

This Diamondbacks team was hoping to carry last season's momentum into the regular season and potentially compete with the loaded Dodgers in the NL West, but Rodriguez's injury puts a bit of a crimp into those plans. All they can hope for now is that Rodriguez's IL stint is fairly short.