Inside The Orioles

Orioles Injured Ace Taking Major Steps Toward Making Return to Rotation

An injured Baltimore Orioles pitcher is making strides toward a return to the mound.

Kenneth Teape

Jul 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Globe Life Field.
Jul 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles had a lot of question marks with their starting pitching rotation before injuries started hitting the group.

It was going to be hard for them to match up with some of the other contenders in the American League at full strength; without their presumed ace, Grayson Rodriguez, it was going to be an even tougher challenge to overcome.

Dealing with elbow inflammation since Mar. 5, the former top prospect is one of five starting pitchers who are currently on the shelf along with Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Trevor Rogers and  Chayce McDermott

Bradish and Wells are recovering from season-ending injuries suffered in 2024, while Rogers and McDermott were both injured this year, either in preparation for spring training or early in camp.

None of those four were locks to make the Opening Day roster, which is what made the Rodriguez injury such a big blow; by all accounts, he was going to be their No. 1 entering the campaign.

It is going to take a total team effort to replace his production, but he is at least making some strides toward a return to the Big League rotation.

As shared by Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun, Rodriguez completed his second full-intensity bullpen session on Wednesday since he hit the injured list officially on Mar. 27.

An encouraging sign from the bullpen session was that he started working in some breaking balls, but a majority of the time he was throwing fastballs.

Without an official timetable, it is anyone’s guess when Rodriguez might be able to return to the rotation. But when he began his throwing program near the end of March, it was considered a total reset, which means a full ramp up will have to be done.

Essentially, he was starting from scratch, like a pitcher reporting to the first day of spring training.

With that in mind, he may not be an option for the team until May after about six weeks of working his way into shape. 

But the goal for the team should not be ensuring he is at a point where he can remain healthy and effective down the stretch when they need him most for what they hope is a deep playoff run.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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