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The Arizona Diamondbacks will be without their top offseason addition when the MLB regular season begins next week. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has a left lat strain and will open the season on the injured list, manager Torey Lovullo announced Friday (per the Arizona Republic). He will be shut down from throwing and there is no firm timetable for his return.
Rodriguez exited Tuesday’s start with lat tightness after throwing a warm up pitch prior to the second inning. He was sent for tests that confirmed the strain. Minor lat strains can sideline pitchers only a few weeks, though serious strains can wipe out a significant chunk of the season. The D-backs have not revealed the severity of Rodriguez’s strain.
“We feel good about him speaking up when he did, and we feel like we dodged a bullet,” Lovullo said Tuesday (per MLB.com).
Rodriguez, 30, joined the defending National League champions on a four-year, $80 million free agent contract this offseason. He has a relationship with Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen dating back to their time together with the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez was signed to be the stable No. 3 starter Arizona lacked really all season a year ago.
With Rodriguez sidelined, both righty Ryne Nelson and lefty Tommy Henry are likely to make the rotation. They had been competing for the No. 5 spot. Lovullo said the club is likely to carry a long reliever now, which could mean righty Bryce Jarvis will make the club. Arizona’s rotation depth chart currently looks like this:
- RHP Zac Gallen
- RHP Merrill Kelly
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez(lat strain)- RHP Brandon Pfaadt
- RHP Ryne Nelson
- LHP Tommy Henry
- RHP Slade Cecconi
With the Detroit Tigers last season, Rodriguez threw 152 2/3 innings with a 3.30 ERA. He used his no-trade clause to block a deal to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, then opted out of the final three years and $49 million remaining on his contract to become a free agent this offseason.
The Dbacks went 84-78 a year ago and reached the World Series as a wild-card team. In addition to Rodriguez, they also brought in third baseman Eugenio Suárez and lefty slugger Joc Pederson over the winter.