TORONTO — The Orioles scratched right-hander Grayson Rodriguez from his scheduled start just minutes before Tuesday’s first pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays due to right lat/teres discomfort in his upper back. Right-hander Albert Suárez pitched instead.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Rodriguez will head back to Baltimore for further evaluation and imaging. Rodriguez first experienced the lat discomfort during his pregame warmups; it isn’t a carryover from previous outings.
“Hope everything works out OK,” Hyde said. “This is all new. He had a little bit of shoulder soreness earlier in the year. Gave him some time off. He’s been feeling fine. Threw a really good bullpen in Cleveland. And this kind of came up tonight while he was warming up.”
Rodriguez has dealt with this sort of injury before.
In June 2022, Rodriguez removed himself from a start at Triple-A Norfolk because of right lat discomfort — the same injury designation he was given Tuesday night. He went on to miss about three months with a lat strain.
Rodriguez has been Baltimore’s second-most-reliable starter this year behind ace Corbin Burnes. He was placed on the 15-day injured list at the start of May with right shoulder inflammation, but the 24-year-old didn’t miss much time and returned in the middle of the month.
Rodriguez walked to the outfield before Tuesday’s game to warm up but was scratched soon after for Suárez, who has juggled both long relief and a starting role at times this season.
In a clip that aired on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, Rodriguez appeared to tell pitching coach Drew French that he didn’t feel right at about 6:45 p.m. It remains to be seen whether the discomfort Rodriguez experienced will transform into something more serious.
Rodriguez holds a 3.86 ERA with 13 wins this year. He has improved his WHIP, strikeout rate and walk rate this season, his second as a major leaguer. He is expected to be a key contributor down the stretch as Baltimore battles with the New York Yankees for the American League East pennant, particularly after season-ending injuries for right-handers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells and left-hander John Means.
The Orioles bolstered their rotation at the trade deadline by adding right-hander Zach Eflin and left-hander Trevor Rogers. But those additions were made with a healthy Rodriguez in mind, giving Baltimore a solid No. 3 starter in Eflin to go behind Burnes and Rodriguez in a postseason series.
Suárez’s ability to step in is invaluable. He can cover multiple innings, even with little notice, as he did Tuesday night when he pitched five scoreless frames in a loss to the Blue Jays. That could be critical to keep the bullpen as fresh as possible before the Orioles continue with five games in five days between Toronto and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Between his starting and relief roles, Suárez carries a 3.66 ERA.
“We got Al’s cleats on, and to give us five innings in that kind of spot, that’s unbelievable,” Hyde said.
