D-Backs' Rodriguez shut down with lat strain, no timetable for return
Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will open the season on the injured list after suffering a left lat strain in his most recent spring start, manager Torey Lovullo announced Friday, according to Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic.
The team did not provide a timetable for his return.
"He's going to be shut down from throwing until he's asymptomatic," Lovullo said, per The Associated Press. "I know you guys want to know lengths of time, all the common questions that I want to know, but we don't know that. It's going to depend on how he progresses and how he's feeling day by day. We're going to assess it daily and build it out from there."
Rodriguez got hurt while warming up for his second inning of work in Tuesday's Cactus League outing against the Chicago Cubs. The team's initial outlook was positive, but he underwent an MRI that confirmed he'd have to miss Opening Day due to the nature of the injury.
The 30-year-old sounded optimistic that he'll be able to make a quick return.
"I know this isn't gonna be too long," Rodriguez told reporters, according to Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com. "I just feel like it was a little tightness in there, but I feel great today. And like I said, I know I'm gonna be back faster than we think."
Rodriguez joined the reigning National League champions on a four-year, $80-million contract in December following a bounce-back 2023 season with the Detroit Tigers. Despite missing time with a finger injury, he put up a career-best 3.30 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP along with 143 strikeouts over 26 starts in Detroit.
Left-hander Tommy Henry and righty Bryce Jarvis are two of the likeliest players to slide into the rotation while Rodriguez is sidelined. Other potential starting options on the 40-man roster include prospects Slade Cecconi, Blake Walston, and Cristian Mena. Left-hander Logan Allen also put together a solid spring as a non-roster invitee.
The D-Backs may also opt to carry an additional long reliever on their Opening Day roster to compensate for the loss of Rodriguez, Lovullo said, according to Romero.