A little bit of patience was required at the beginning of the season, but right-hander has proven to be worth the wait. Injuries and concerns about workload derailed the start of Rodríguez’s big-league earlier this season. Eventually the 27-year-old got healthy, settled in and along the way proved he can be a solid member of the starting rotation.
Despite a pair of early exits, the rookie has been a model of consistency having allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 12 outings. Only once has he surrendered more than three. After not pitching much at all last year, there’s still a lot of work to be done to build up the Cuban’s arm, but the tools were always there and now the results are, too.
Rodríguez was at his best on Saturday. A solo homer by Brent Rooker was the only damage he allowed, yet a lack of run support meant it at the Rogers Centre. “I think he’s learned that his stuff is good,” said of Rodríguez, who scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five across 5 2/3 innings.
“When he’s attacking, he’s real good. It’s a game of inches there to Rooker, but really pleased with how he adjusted and worked through their lineup.” Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro met with the media this week – for the first time since Even during spring training, it was obvious worth $32 million (U.
S.). The mid-90s fastball, which peaked at 97 m.
p.h. on Saturday, was big-league calibre and so was a wipeout slider that missed bats.
He also had a curveball, with a sinker and splitter added occasionally. The five-pitch mix convinced the Jays that Rodríguez could make it as a starter while some of his other off-season suitors figured he’d end up in the bullpen. The question these days isn’t about talent.
It’s whether his arm will hold up as the workload increases. A back issue popped up during spring training and again in late April, but it has been smooth sailing since he returned in June. He finished Saturday with a 3.
60 ERA in 50 innings. “That’s baseball: sometimes you lose, sometimes you win,” Rodríguez said through an interpreter after his team was limited to two hits, including a single by that extended his hit streak to 22 games. “The last couple outings I’ve been feeling pretty good.
I’ve been working hard, and thankfully it has been working for me lately.” Rodríguez is — by far — the most interesting Jays pitcher to watch down the stretch. Schneider and the rest of his coaching staff believe they know what to expect out of José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt next season, but beyond that veteran trio there is a lot of uncertainty.
The to Houston only made that more apparent. It’s usually possible to plug one gaping hole in the rotation, by cycling through multiple options or relying on the bullpen, but covering two is almost impossible. With Rodríguez signed long term, that might not be an issue for the Jays.
“That was my expectation,” he said through an interpreter, when asked if he anticipated the transition being this smooth. “The team here, they’ve been very patient with me and I understand that, but I really believe that I can get better. In the long run, I will get better.
” Not every outing is going to be good. Rodríguez allowed five runs while recording four outs in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Guardians on June 21. A month later, he couldn’t pitch out of the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles.
Starts like that are going to happen every now and then, especially from a guy who hasn’t been through any of this before. But overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives and the goal for the rest of the season will be maintaining this level while continuing to increase the workload. If all goes well over the final seven-plus weeks, Rodríguez should advance to the point where an innings limit won’t be a concern next year.
He’ll have the luxury of going through a normal off-season and knowing his job is secure. Last off-season was a disaster for the front office. The Jays missed out on and before settling on the likes of and Kevin Kiermaier.
It’s a big reason why they are nine games under .500 with little to play for in the second half. However, not everything that took place during the winter was a mistake.
Rodríguez has provided a silver lining to an otherwise frustrating year and the more comfortable he gets, the more impressive he looks. While Turner and Kiermaier became castoffs, Rodríguez is showing why he’s a keeper..
