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Baltimore Orioles Ace Will Begin Throwing Program on Tuesday in First Rehab Step

The Baltimore Orioles will not be getting their young ace back anytime soon, but he is taking steps in the right direction.

Cameron Zunkel

Jul 31, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jul 31, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles had high hopes for their young ace Grayson Rodriguez before he went down with an injury, but he is now taking steps in the right direction.

Rodriguez was under consideration for the Opening Day starter role before the 25-year-old went down with an arm injury that will cause him begin the season on the injured list.

He received a cortisone shot to help with the inflammation in his elbow which shut him down for 7-10 days. Now, he will have to begin a throwing program from scratch to ramp himself back up.

The good news is the former first-round pick has been cleared by doctors to begin throwing.

Per Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun, Rodriguez will officially begin his throwing program on Tuesday.

As mentioned, this program is a full restart.

That means it will still be some time before Rodriguez takes the mound to begin bullpen sessions. Add in the time it takes to build back up into being able to throw the 75-plus pitches it requires to be a starter, and this could become a lengthy IL stint.

Still, the news of him even being cleared to throw is a step in the right direction.

The Texas native had a breakout year in 2024.

He made 20 starts, posted a 3.86 ERA, threw 116.2 innings, walked just 36 and struck out 130. Additionally, the big righty ranked in the 82nd percentile in whiff percentage, 72nd percentile in chase percentage and his off-speed pitches are some of the best in the game.

Not having him in the rotation is going to be a major blow for Baltimore.

With him out, the Orioles decided to give the ball to Zach Eflin for Opening Day.

Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Tyler Wells will fill out three more starting spots. The final opening has a few pitchers battling for the job.

Baltimore is trying to win their first playoff game since 2014, and Rodriguez would have played a crucial part in that. He still can, but they will need to make sure his throwing program progresses smoothly so he doesn't miss even more time.

For now, the Orioles should be happy their ace is cleared to begin his throwing program to help cut his injured list stint as short as possible.

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Cameron Zunkel
CAMERON ZUNKEL

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