SAD NEWS: Huge Blow!!! The Orioles Suffers Another Ominous Injury Setback

The Baltimore Orioles’ worries over pitcher Grayson Rodriguez have grown after he suffered a new setback following an elbow injury earlier in spring training.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, Rodriguez was scratched from a bullpen session on Thursday due to shoulder soreness and will undergo an MRI. While unrelated to his earlier elbow and triceps issues—he had reported triceps discomfort to manager Brandon Hyde in March—this new injury raises fresh concerns about his long-term health.

Rodriguez had missed the final two months of the 2024 season with a right lat strain and worked diligently in spring training to get back to throwing form. Unfortunately, this shoulder issue clouds his return timeline.

The setback comes at a rough time for Baltimore. The Orioles are off to a disappointing 7-10 start and sit at the bottom of the AL East. Rodriguez is now the eighth starting pitcher on their injured list, joining Tyler Wells (UCL surgery), Trevor Rogers (knee subluxation), Zach Eflin and Chayce McDermott (both with right lat strains), Kyle Bradish (Tommy John surgery), and Albert Suárez (subscapularis strain).

Despite the injury crisis, GM Mike Elias is urging patience and resisting panic, remaining cautiously optimistic about the team’s outlook.

Rodriguez’s track record suggests he has the resilience to recover, but his path back to the mound is now more uncertain than ever.

Grayson Rodriguez’s seems to recover fairly well

Grayson Rodriguez previously missed three months of the 2022 season due to a right lat strain while pitching for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. However, he recovered in time to make his MLB debut the following year.

 

 

Rodriguez quickly emerged as one of the Orioles’ top arms, finishing his rookie season with a 4.35 ERA across 23 starts.

In 2024, before being sidelined, he was showing strong form with a 3.83 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 20 starts. His injury troubles began with elbow discomfort from April 30 to May 18, followed by a right lat strain sustained on August 7 that ended his season.

This spring, Rodriguez appeared to be on the mend, showing encouraging signs of progress, including a bullpen session before a late March game against the Blue Jays.

Rodriguez’s track record suggests he tends to regain form and improve steadily after returning from injury, offering hope that he can bounce back again once healthy.